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GEO. N. BLISS. 




COL. KATHANIEL W. BROW. 



(jot anil fljell: 



THE 



T±±^D RHODE ISLAND 

HEAVY ARTILLERY REGIMENT 

In the Rebellion, 

1861-1865. 



CAMPS, FOETS, BATTERIES, GARRISONS, MARCHES, SKIRMISHES, SIEGES, BATTLES, 
AND VICTORIES ; ALSO, THE ROLL OF HONOR AND ROLL OF 
THE REGIMENT. 



ILLUSTRATED WITH PORTRAIT, MAPS, AND SCENES. 



Rev. FREDERIC DENISON, A. M„ Chaplain, 

And Corresponding Member of R. I. His. Society. 




PROVIDENCE : 
Published for the Third R. I. H. Art. Vet. Association, 

By J. A. & R. A. REID. 

1879. 



F 5 



Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1879, by 
CHARLES H. WILLIAMS, 
Trustee for Third Rhode Island Heavy Artillery Veteran Association. 
In the office of the Librarian of Congress, at "Washington, D. C. 

In Exchange 
Brown University 
NOV 2 2 1933 



INSCRIBED 

TO 

©Ijp JlBaFtgrs of Jrppbom, 

WHO, BEING DEAD, YET SPEAK ; 

AND TO ALL 

WHO BRAVELY STOOD IN THE BREACH 
IN THE HOUR OF OUR COUNTRY'S PERIL. 



" O Beautiful ! My Country ! ours once more ! 

Smoothing thy gold of war-disheveled hair 
O'er such sweet crows as never other wore, 
And letting thy set lips, 
Freed from wrath's pale eclipse, 
The rosy edges of their smile lay bare, 
What words divine of lover or of poet 
Could tell our love and make thee know it, 
Among the Nations bright beyond compare ! 
What were our lives without thee ? 
What all our lives to save thee ? 
We reck not what we gave thee : 
We will not dare to doubt thee ; 
But ask whatever else, and we will dare." 

— Lowell. 



PREFACE. 



We give important records of a memorable struggle : the story of the 
voluntary services of more than two thousand men aiding their country in 
her unparalleled civil strife of four 3-ears. Justly the Veterans of the Third 
Ehocle Island Heavy Artillery Regiment have felt it a dut} 7 owed to them- 
selves, to the State and to the nation, to secure in a permanent form the 
substance of the record they made by toils, sufferings and achievements, in 
co-operation with the great arm} 7 of the republic, in maintaining our priceless 
government and overthrowing the great political heres} 7 and evil of our 
times. The part we acted, and the losses we endured, belong to the story 
and glory of our land. Stranger than fiction will be found the sober truth 
of our toils and triumphs in Georgia, South Carolina and Virginia. Painter 
and poet ma} T here find thrilling themes. 

Though our record was demanded immediately upon the close of our 
service, the nature of the work, involving the collection of the' material, the 
leisure and disposition of authorship, and the responsibility of publication, 
made it impracticable till the Veterans had united in an Association? No 
pains have been spared to make our record accurate. 

We give only summary views of the conflict, and pass by necessity to the 
particular work given to our hands. It must suffice us to give our regi- 
mental experiences — strange and momentous enough for one volume, since 
the execution of the heaviest siege work of the war fell to our lot, and our 
guns were engaged from the everglades of Florida to the Capital of the Con- 
federacy. 

Our successors will wish to know not only the minute facts, but as well 
the animus of the conflict, and hence our justification in introducing into 
our narrative so many incidents, anecdotes and observations, which will 
best reveal the spirit of the strife. We aim to be brief in words, but 
abundant in facts. 



6 



PREFACE. 



Our material has been drawn from our own papers, the archives of state, 



journals and diaries of officers and men, articles for publication penned in 
the field, orders and reports of military chiefs, and special papers prepared 
by comrades. 

As best conforming to our design, the journal structure of narrative has 
been adopted. All readers will wish to know the dates of the events, and 
some will read our history in the far years to come, and they will particu- 
larly prize the names, dates and incidents. Really the full history of the 
war must be looked for in the histories of the regiments that were engaged 
in it. 

Adjutant G-. O. Gorton, with his characteristic kindness and fidelity, has 
both furnished recollections, and with great labor prepared, corrected and 
wisely arranged our regimental roll. 

The names of the officers and men who have furnished contributions will 
generally be found in connection with their communications ; but we would 
especially express our indebtedness to Colonel Metcalf ; Generals Bray- 
ton, Rogers and Ames ; Majors Metcalf and Barker ; Captains Burroughs, 
Churchill, Greene and Shaw, and Lieutenants Williams, Higgins, Bailey 
and Sabin. 

In respect to the form, illustrations, and general dress of the volume, 
the Historical Committee have given generous directions, while the sub- 
stance of the work has passed their examination. 



We camp again on hill and shore ; 

Afresh the foe survey ; 
And count, with pulsing heart, once more 

The cannon as they play. 




Providence, R. I., iSjg. 



CONTENTS. 



CHAPTER I. 
THE SIGNAL GUN OP THE WAR. 

December, 1860- July, 1861 Pages 17-20 

CHAPTER II. 

CALL FOR THE REGIMENT. 

August, 1861 Pages 21-26 

CHAPTER III. 

COMPLETION OF THE COMMAND. 

August -September, 1861 Pages 27-30 

CHAP.TER IV. 

DRILLING AT FORT HAMILTON, N. Y. 

September, 1861 Pages 31-36 

CHAPTER V. 

FORWARD TO FORTRESS MONROE, VA. 

October, 1861 Pages 37-40 

CHAPTER VI. 

FORWARD TO SOUTH CAROLINA. 

October -November, 1861 Pages 41-45 

CHAPTER VII. 

CAPTURE OF PORT ROYAL, S. C. 

November, 1861 Pages 46-50 



8 CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER VIII. / 
FORTS AND OUTPOSTS. 
November -December, 1861 Pages 51-55 

CHAPTER IX. 
RECONNOITERING SERVICE. 
December, 1861 Pages 56-58 

CHAPTER X. 
GUNS ON OTTER AND ST. HELENA ISLANDS. 
December, 1861 -May, 1862 Pages 59-62 

CHAPTER XI. 

HILTON HEAD ENTRENCHMENTS. 
December, 1861 -March, 1862 Pages 63-65 

CHAPTER XII. 
SIEGE BATTERIES ON TYBEE ISLAND, GA. 
January -April, 1862 Pages 66-68 

CHAPTER XIII. 
GUNS ON JONES, BIRD AND LONG ISLANDS. 
January -April, 1862 Pages 69-74 

CHAPTER XIV. 
CAPTURE OF FORT PULASKI. 
April, 1862 . . . . . . * Pages 75-81 

CHAPTER XV. 
ARMY AND NAVY OPERATIONS. 
May -June, 1862 Pages 82-84 

CHAPTER XVI. 
FIRST ADVANCE ON CHARLESTON. 
May- June, 1862 Pages 85-91 

CHAPTER XVII. 
BATTLE OF SECESSION VILLE, JAMES ISLAND. 
June, 1862 Pages 92-98 



CONTENTS. 9 

CHAPTER XVIII. 
SCENES FOLLOWING THE BATTLE. 
June, 1862 ' Pages 99-105 

CHAPTER XIX. 

' RETURN TO HILTON HEAD. 
July-September, 1862 . Pages 106-112 

CHAPTER XX. 
EXPEDITIONS ON THE FRONT. 
October, 1862 . Pages 113-115 

CHAPTER XXI. 

BATTLE OF POCOTALIGO. 
October, 1862 Pages 116-119 

CHAPTER XXII. 

THE YELLOW FEVER AND DEATHS. 
October-November, 1862 Pages 120-124 

CHAPTER XXIII. 
THANKSGIVING AT FORT PULASKI. 
November, 1862 Pages 125-127 

CHAPTER XXIV. 
CAMP LIFE AND OUTLOOK. 
December, 1862-January, 1863 Pages 128-134 

CHAPTER XXV. 
PREPARATIONS FOR HEAVY WORK. 
February-March, 1863 Pages 135-142 $ 

CHAPTER XXVI. 

SECOND ADVANCE ON CHARLESTON. 
April, 1863 Pages 143-146 

CHAPTER XXVII. 

LOSS OF THE " GEORGE WASHINGTON.'' 
April, 1863 Pages 147-150 



10 CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER XXVIII. 

WATCHING- AND WAITING. 
April-May, 1863 

CHAPTER XXIX. 

EXPEDITION UP THE COMBAHEE. 
June, 1863 

CHAPTER XXX. 

DESTRUCTION OF DAPJEN. 
June, 1863 

CHAPTER XXXI. 
BATTLE OF LIGHT-HOUSE INLET. 
July, 1863 

CHAPTER XXXII. 

ASSAULTS UPON FORT WAGNER. 
July, 1863 

CHAPTER XXXIII. 

BREACHING BATTERIES. 
July- August, 1863 ......... 

CHAPTER XXXIV. 
THE SWAMP ANGEL. 
August, 1863 

CHAPTER XXXV. 
FALL OF FORTS WAGNER AND GREGG. 
August-September, 1863 

CHAPTER XXXVI. 
DEMOLISHING FORT SUMTER. 
September-October, 1863 

CHAPTER XXXVII. 
SHELLING THE CITY OF CHARLESTON. 
November-December, 1863 



CONTENTS. 11 

CHAPTER XXXVIII. 

SONGS OF THE FREEDMEN. 
December, 1863 ' . . . . • . Pages 208-209 

CHAPTER XXXIX. 
WINTER IN FORT PULASKI. 
December, 1863 Pages 210-216 

CHAPTER XL. 
RE-ENLISTMENT OF VETERANS. 
January-April, 1864 Pages 216-219 

CHAPTER XLI. 
SCENES ON THE SAVANNAH. 
January-February, 1864 Pages 220-224 

CHAPTER XLII. 

BATTLE OF OLUSTEE, FLA. 
February, 1864 Pages 225-228 

CHAPTER XLIII. 

INCIDENTS AT FORT PULASKI. 

March- April, 1864 Pages 229-232 

CHAPTER XLIV. 

SIEGE GUNS ON THE FRONT. 
January-June, 1864 Pages 233-242 

CHAPTER XLV. 
WORK OF OUR LIGHT GUNS. 
April-June, 1864 Pages 243-250 

CHAPTER XLVI. 
HONORS ON MORRIS ISLAND. 
June, 1864 Pages 251-253 

CHAPTER XLVII. 
ACTION ON JAMES ISLAND. 
July, 1864 Pages 254-255 



12 CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER XLVIII. 
ATTACK ON FORT JOHNSON. 
July, 1864 . . . Pages 256-259 

CHAPTER XLIX. 
INCIDENTS ON THE FRONT. 
July-August, 1864 . Pages 260-264 

CHAPTER L. . 
BENEVOLENCES ON THE FRONT. 
August, 1864 Pages 265-267 

CHAPTER LI. 

BATTLE OF GAINESVILLE, FLA. 
May- August, 1864 . Pages 268-269 

CHAPTER LII. 
PRISON EXPERIENCES OF GEORGE H. LUTHER. 
August, 1864-March, 1865 . . Pages 270-275 

CHAPTER LIII. 
RETURN OF THE THREE YEARS ' MEN. 
August-September, 1864 Pages 276-279 

CHAPTER LIV. 

VETERAN GUNNING. 
October-December, 1864 Pages 280-283 

CHAPTER LV. 

BATTLES OF HONEY HILL AND DEVEAUX NECK. 
November-December, 1864 Pages 284-288 

CHAPTER LVI. 

BREAKING THE REBEL FRONT. 
December, 1864-February, 1865 Pages 289-293 

CHAPTER LVII. 
SURRENDER OF CHARLESTON. 
February, 1865 Pages 294-301 



CONTENTS. 13 

CHAPTER LVIII. 
THE FALLING CONFEDERACY. 
March-April, 1865 Pages 302-306 

CHAPTER LIX. 
RE-RAISING THE FLAG OF SUMTER. 

April, 1865 Pages 307-309 

CHAPTER LX. 
OUR FIELD GUNS IN VIRGINIA. 

June, 1864-June, 1865 Pages 310-313 

CHAPTER LXI. 
EVACUATION OF RICHMOND. 
April-May, 1865 Pages 314-316 

CHAPTER LXII. 
THE FINAL SHOTS OF THE WAR. 
April-September, 1865 . Pages 317-324 

CHAPTER LXIII. 

DISMOUNTING THE GUNS. 
September, 1865 Pages 325-331 

CHAPTER LXIV. 

ARMY HYMNS. 

1863 Pages 332-333 

CHAPTER LXV. 
ROLL OF HONOR. 

.861-1865 Pages 334-335 

CHAPTER LXVI. 
ROLL OF THE REGIMENT. 
L861-1865 • . " . . . . Pages 336-362 

CHAPTER LXVII. 

VETERAN ASSOCIATION. 
1.872-1877 Pages 364-368 

LIST OF ENCOUNTERS Page 324 



Portraits, Maps and Scenes. 



PORTRAIT OF COL. 1ST. W. BROWN Fi-ontisp 

FORTRESS MONROE IN 1861 Pag 

MAP OF THE SOUTHERN STATES .... Opposite 

MAP OF COAST . 

PLAN OF B ATTLE AT PORT ROYAL HARBOR .... 

FORT WALKER 

FORT BEAUREGARD 

STONE FLEET BLOCKADE 

POPE'S HOUSE AT HILTON HEAD 

MARTELLO TOWER, TYBEE ISLAND ...... 

BREACH IN FORT PULASKI 

♦ THE PLANTER . . . . 

HEAD-QUARTERS OF GENERALS HUNTER AND MITCHELL . 

DRAYTON'S MANSION 

FORT PULASKI 

NEW IRONSIDES AND MONITORS 

LIVE OAKS AT PORT ROYAL 

SIEGE OF CHARLESTON . . . ... 

FORT WAGNER AT POINT OF ASSAULT . . . 

BOMB AND SPLINTER PROOF 

SWAMP ANGEL BATTERY 

FORT SUMTER AFTER THE BOMBARDMENT .... 

BEACON HOUSE 

ARMY SIGNAL TELEGRAPH 

FORT WAGNER (SEA FRONT) ........ 

DR. FRIEND'S HOUSE 

BULLET PROOF IN THE WOODS 

PONTOON BRIDGE AT JONES' FERRY 

DEFENCES OF RICHMOND AND PETERSBURG .... 

CHAPIN'S BLUFF 

INTERIOR OF FORT STEADMAN ' . 

GENERAL GRANT'S HEAD-QUARTERS ...... 

MCLEAN'S HOUSE, PLACE OF LEE'S SURRENDER 

PLACE OF JOHNSTON'S SURRENDER 

ARMY HUTS 1 . . . 



3n (NUmonam+ 

COLONEL NATHANIEL W. BROWN Page 121 

SURGEON HORATIO G. STICKNEY 361 

QUARTERMASTER WALTER B. MANTON 120 

CAPTAIN JEREMIAH LANAHAN 108 

FIRST LIEUT. LATHAM T. BABCOCK 365 

FIRST LIEUT. GEORGE CARPENTER 100 

FIRST LIEUT. GEORGE W. GREENE 367 

FIRST LIEUT. HENRY HOLBROOK 177 

FIRST LIEUT. EDWIN W. KEENE 320 

FIRST LIEUT. FREDERIC METCALF ...... 276 

FIRST LIEUT. JOHN MORROW, JR. ...... 365 

FIRST LIEUT. A. RICHMOND RAWSON 153 

FIRST LIEUT. JOSIAH W. ROBINSON, JR. .... 365 

SECOND LIEUT. JOHN AIGAN 367 

SECOND LIEUT. ERASMUS S. BARTHOLOMEW ... 99 

SECOND LIEUT. ROBERT SLATTERY 365 



CHAPTER I. 



THE SIGNAL GUN OF THE WAR. 
December, 1860 — July, 1861. 

A ruthless wrong's eruptive fire. 

However the fact may be disguised by special pleading, the signal gun 
of our Civil War was forged and fired by Slavery. In that hoary abuse was 
born and developed the giant Rebellion. The North had thrown off the 
ancient semi-barbaric system. The young and growing West had reso- 
lutely refused to adopt the depressing, thriftless wrong. In the South, 
however, the slaveholders educated and deeply involved in the peculiar 
institution, regarded it as justifiable and even christian, and could not 
brook the opposition and reproofs brought against it by the majority of 
the nation. Adopting, therefore, for a plea, and conscientiously on the 
part of man} T the theory of state rights as against the national sovereignty, 
the slave states finally planned and inaugurated the disastrous revolt. 

The revolting states went out as follows : South Carolina, Dec. 20, 
1860; Mississippi, Jan. 9, 1861; Florida, Jan. 10; Alabama, Jan. 11; 
Georgia, Jan. 19 ; Louisana, Jan. 26 ; Texas, Feb. 1 ; Virginia, April 17 ; 
Arkansas, May 6; Tennessee, May 7; North Carolina, May 20, 1861. 
Their preliminary organization was at Montgomery, Alabama, Feb. 4, 
1861 ; their full formation occurred March 11, 1861. 

The first gun of the Rebellion was fired on the Star of the West, off 
Charleston Harbor, on the 10th of January, 1861, while that vessel was 
endeavoring to bear supplies to Major Anderson in Fort Sumter. But 
the gun that woke the whole land and set ablaze ever}^ loyal heart, was 
fired by order of General Beauregard, in the name of the Confederates, at 
half-past-four o'clock in the morning of Friday, April 12, 1861. The 
stroke was dealt from Cummings Point, on Morris Island, upon Fort Sum- 
mer and its loyal, heroic garrison. On that Point our regiment was des- 
tined to show the greatest gunnery of the world. 

April 15. President Lincoln, as Commander-in-chief of the forces 
•of the United States called for seventy-five thousand volunteer troops 

2 



18 



SHOT AND SHELL. 



[April, 



from the states, to serve three months, and at the same time summoned 
an extra ^ssion of Congress to meet Jury 4. The Confederate States 
were already in arms and resolved upon the capture of Washington. From 
every loyal State the President's call was instantly and enthusiticalry an- 
swered. On the 19th of April Massachusetts blood ran in the streets of 
Baltimore. 

Before the middle of Ma} r three hundred thousand men had offered 
themselves for the defence of the Union. The rebels in arms pressed to 
the soil of Virginia and resolved to beleaguer the Capital of the nation. 
The lines between Freedom and Slavery were drawn and bristled with 
swords and guns. 

In defence of the adopted Constitution of the Confederate States, the 
Vice-President of the Confederacy, A. H. Stevens, in his memorable 
speech, March 21, 1861, said: " The new Constitution has put at rest 
forever all the agitating questions relating to our peculiar institution — 
African Slaver} r as it exists among us — the proper status of the negro in 
our form of civilization. This teas the immediate cause of the late rupture 
and present revolution" 

" Our new Government is founded upon exactly the opposite ideas (to 
those of Jefferson) : its foundations are laid, its corner-stone rests upon the 
great truth that the negro is not equal to the white man; that slavery, — sub- 
ordination to the superior race, — is his natural and moral condition, 
(Applause). This, our new Government, is the first, in the history of the 
world, based upon this great physical, philosophical and moral truth." 

On the 23d of April the Richmond Examiner thus spoke : — 
u The capture of Washington City is perfectly within the power of Vir- 
ginia and Maryland, if Virginia will only make the effort by her constituted 
authorities ; nor is there a single moment to lose. The entire population 
pant for the onset." . . " From the mountain tops and valleys to the 
shores of the sea, there is one wild shout of fierce resolve to capture Wash- 
ington City at all and ever}' human hazard. 'The filthy cage of unclean birds 
must and will assuredly be purified by fire. . . . It is not to be en- 
dured that this flight of Abolition harpies shall come down from the black 
North for their roosts in the heart of the South, to defile and brutalize the 

land." 

" Our people can take it — they will take it — and Scott the arch-traitor, 
and Lincoln the Beast, combined, cannot prevent it." . . . "Man}' 
indeed will be the carcasses of dogs and caitiffs that will blacken the air 
upon the gallows, before the great work is accomplished. So let it be." 

In that controlling Providence whereby all human affairs are shaped to 
bring forth the praise of the Divine Ruler and the ultimate good of mankind, 
the hour had now arrived for the overthrow of the monstrous wrong of our 
land and the regeneration of our political life. 



1861.] 



THIRD R. I. H. ARTILLERY. 



19 



No patriotic American citizen could hold himself aloof from the vast 
agitation, or be indifferent to the destiny of the continent now to be recast 
in the fires of the conflict. While the nations of the old world had often 
and confidently predicted that our free, representative republic would ulti- 
mately be a failure, since it would never bear the strain of a civil war — 
brother armed against brother — a trial sure to come to every nation, the 
loyal people throughout the land recognized the greatness of the hour that 
had unexpectedly come, and deeply, religiously inquired for the path and 
particular steps of dut}^. The question was, Are we a nation, or are we a 
mob ? 

At its outbreak the Rebellion was quite imperfectly measured by both 
parties. It proved to be, in the numbers engaged, in the treasure and blood 
expended, and in its issues, one of the great wars of the world. Both 
parties in the strife, taken as a whole, were sincere, and therefore deter- 
mined. Their chosen principles were antagonistic, and hence all was 
staked on the struggle for their ascendancy. The rebels fought like cru- 
saders. The loyal armies fought like martyrs. Providence concealed the 
greatness of the conflict and the grandeur of its issues, that all might act 
freely, and that the wrong might finally bring to pass its own utter over- 
throw. The war was a battle of ideas — a struggle of principles — the 
mighty grapple of the opposing forces aiming to dominate our country and 
shape the destiny of our continent. 

Not for a moment let it be supposed that the wonderful uprising of the 
people in the free states, that so greatly disappointed the people in the seced- 
ing states, and so astonished the nations of the old world, was the ebullition 
of passion, or the unthinking impulse of mere patriotic feeling. The devotion 
of the North and West to the Union and the Constitution was grounded in 
deep and sacred principles, in their love for their own freedom and the free- 
dom of their fellow men. Their principles were not merely inherited from their 
fathers, but were founded in their religious convictions and doctrines. For 
long years they had intently watched and studied the strategy and struggles 
of the slave-power to control our country, and now that it had madly lifted 
up arms against the republic, they were prepared to meet and resist it at all 
hazards. 

Historically viewed from the present date (1879), it is evident that the 
sublimest political and moral results attached to our civil strife. What 
could not have been foreseen, and what no one anticipated, has, by direc- 
tion of Providence, followed the great struggle. It may be said that our 
Revolutionary War with England was our nation's natural birth. But in 
our Civil War our nation experienced its regeneration — a second and diviner 
life. The first war gave us personality and independence. The second war 
gave us freedom, manhood, brotherhood, and unconquerable principle. 
Moreover, it virtually decided the character and fate of North America as 
well as of our country. In short, never was there a more important war on 



20 



SHOT AND SHELL. 



[May 



the face of the earth. Slavery battled with Freedom and fell. It dug its 
own grave and perished in endless disgrace. 

Were it our province to philosophize in this our brief narrative of regi- 
mental experiences, we should venture to observe how timely, in the order 
of Providence, occurred the great conflict between the irreconcilable forces 
of Freedom and Slavery. It had been foreseen that the struggle was sure 
to come, though it had not been expected so soon. Surely we were not pre- 
pared for it before, as, for success, we needed not simply men and money, but 
also, and in a special sense, the advantages of machinery, of steam ships, steam 
cars, telegraphs and improved guns of all calibres. Not only was Slavery 
ripe, but Freedom was in a state of development to meet it. Had the 
" irrepressible conflict" been delayed, it would in the end have been only 
the more terrible and destructive. Indeed, we had reached the point where 
the barbarous wrong must be sloughed or the national body would lapse 
into decay and death. But G-od had predestined the overthrow of the crime, 
and the renovation of the republic. 

Every nation has its own method of reasoning, growing out of, and con- 
sistent with, its own life and historic teachings. Absolute monarchies have 
their peculiar modes of thinking, consistent with their absolutism, and 
making no account of the wishes and abilities of the masses of the people. 
Limited monarchies grant more to the people, or to certain classes of the 
people, but 3^et hold to arbitrary power and the virtues of royalty. Only 
republicanism has faith in a government " of the people, by the people, and 
for the people." This will explain why, in our struggle, we had so little 
real and effective sympathy from foreign nations. Reasoning from their 
own old historic grounds and established precedents, they did not, and in 
fact could not comprehend us. In truth, it is hard for any people to have 
faith in what they have never experienced. 



CHAPTER II. 



CALL FOE THE REGIMENT. 

August, 1861. 

To do or die for Freedom's sake. 

In answer to President Lincoln's call, Rhode Island, equally with her 
sisters, responded by patriotic words and deeds. 

A little sister in the group, 

But on her brow the seal of Hope. 

Throughout all her borders were throbbing hearts and ready hands. 
Instantly she sent her First and Second Infantry Regiments with Light 
Artillery Batteries attached, to aid in defending the national Capital, and, 
as it proved, to wet with valiant blood the Plains of Manassas. Other of 
her brave sons stood waiting to follow their brothers to the perilous field. 

G-overnor Sprague and the leading men of Rhode Island were equal to 
their duty and the demands of the hour. Troops were freely offerd as they 
were needed. Immediately upon the departure of the Second Regiment for 
the front, plans were laid for the formation of a Third. Nor when the battle 
stroke fell so disastrously upon our First and Second Regiments with our 
Batteries, July 21st, at Bull Run, was there any abatement of patriotic 
fervor or the spirit of sacrifice, but rather an increase. 

The spirit of freedom and of sacrifice was native to Rhode Island. " Roger 
Williams was the incarnation of the idea of soul liberty ; the town of 
Providence became its organization." In her days of loyalty to England, 
in the " old French war," " more than one-quarter of the effective force of 
Rhode Island was at one time, on sea and land, in privateers, in the royal 
fleets, and in the camp, learning the stern lessons of war." " To the town of 
Providence is due^he honor of priority in the national movement for a Con- 
tinental Congress." " The Assembly of Rhode Island was the first to elect 
delegates to that Congress." The "first blow for Freedom " was struck in 
Narragansett Bay in the capture of the Gaspee June 10, 1772. In 1774 
the Assembly took steps for the abolition of Slavery. ' ' Esek Hopkins was 
commander of the first American fleet, which sailed Feb. 17, 1776, and 
captured Nassau." On the 1st of May, 1776, the Assembly " abjured all 



22 



SHOT AND SHELL. 



[June, 



allegiance to the British crown — a declaration of Independence which con- 
stitutes Rhode Island, by^two months, the oldest independent State in 
America." Her revolutionaiy wreath is still Greene, and the guns of her 
Perry in 1812 still sound over Lake Erie. 

In 1861, when the Rebellion broke on the country, it was a phenomenon 
to be studied by the patriot and the philosopher to see a people, like those 
of Rhode Island, eagerly and happily engaged in productive, peaceful pur- 
suits, — building up their homes, towns and cities, — at once turn from their 
quiet, delightful occupations to gird themselves for a great war, and doing 
so voluntarily and enthusiastically. By what inspiration did they thus leave 
the farm, the factory, the fireside, the shop, the mart and all the endearing 
scenes of life, for the camp, the march, the bivouac, the privations and cer- 
tain perils of embattled fields ? How was it that, while their own borders were 
uninvaded, they rose above themselves and sacrificed not only their property 
and business, but freely offered their lives for the preservation and honor 
of our country ? 

" As if the very earth again 

Grew quick with God's creating- breath, 
And from the sods of grove and glen, 
Rose ranks of lion-hearted men 
To battle to the death." 

O'er hill and plain and prairie vast 

Was heard the rallying bugle blast. 

From the pines that o'erhang Penobscot's breast 

To the Golden Gate of the distant west, 

In the holy armor of Freedom dressed 

The loyal ranks with ardor pressed 

To meet Rebellion's maddened band 

And sweep oppression from our land. 

Beneath the hallowed Stripes and Stars — 

The holy sign of Freedom's wars — 

They rallied the right and the true to maintain 

Like the phalanx of Freedom on Marathon's plain. 

When the intelligence of the Bull Run disaster reached Providence the 
tide of patriotic enthusiasm swelled high through the city. An incident 
may illustrate the general state of mind. Lieutenant-Governor Arnold, in 
the absence of Governor Sprague, appealed to the citizens for re-enforce- 
ments for the front. Finding Hugh Hamill (afterwards one of our cap- 
tains) working on the engine of a steamer in the harbor, he inquired if he 
could raise a company, and being promptly answered in the affirmative, 
promised Mr. Hamill the endorsement of the State. Mr. Hamill was 
so full of the spirit of the hour and of true military heart $hat in an instant 
he slipped off his overalls and tossed both them and his dinner-pail into the 
harbor, and started for the military depot. He was, of course, successful 
in raising a company. Such were the patriotic heart-beats of both the 
native and adopted citizens of Little Rhody. 

• The great uprising of the North to meet the insurgents and overthrow 
the Rebellion, was an astonishment to the nations of the earth. At the 



1861.] 



THIRD R. I. H. ARTILLERY. 



23 



outbreak of the revolt most of the monarchical powers confidently pre- 
dicted the destruction of our Government. As we had no throne, no 
dynasty, no andent national glory, and no enlargement of territory or 
prospect of spoils for which to battle, it was affirmed that we would not 
fight at all. It was inconceivable that we would voluntarily lay down vast 
treasures and even life itself for great ideas alone. Such grandeur of 
political life, and self-abnegation, for principles and the welfare of others, 
was unprecedented, and hence not to be expected. Alas ! that our mother 
England, after the battle of Bull Run, counted us as dead, and hasted to 
make friends with our foes. But the Lord of hosts had a purpose for the 
furtherance of Freedom, and so inspired and girded the North for the great 
struggle. 

July 23. General Order No. 42, of the State, was issued, opening as 
follows : — 

" Commanders of the several military companies, chartered or otherwise, 
throughout the State, will at once cause their armories or places of rendezvous to 
be opened, and will receive enlistments for a Third Regiment of Infantry and a 
Battery of Light Artillery, to be mustered into the service of the United States 
for a period of three years, unless sooner discharged." 

Although this order was countermanded on the 6th of August, that it 
might be reconstructed, already several companies had been nearly com- 
pleted. On the 2d of August there were sixty-eight volunteers at the 
armory of the National Cadets ; forty-six at the armory of the Mechanics 
Rifles ; thirty-three at the armory of the Providence Artillery ; twenty- 
eight at the Infantry armory, and squads in other depots. Enlistments 
were progressing rapidly at Pawtucket, Woonsocket and Apponaug. 

So general and fervid was the flame of patriotic zeal among the people 
that almost countless national flags, great and small, were raised on parks, 
hill-tops, street crossings, public buildings and private residences. Flag- 
raisings were largely attended by men, women and children, who listened 
to stirring speeches and joined in fervently singing our choicest patriotic 
songs, the "Star Spangled Banner," and " My Country 'Tis of Thee." 
The red, white and blue dominated all colors, as devotion to our Govern- 
ment controlled all thoughts and interests. Time, money, and our lives 
were at the command of our country. Recruiting stations were open in 
every centre of population, and troops were moving to their military ren- 
dezvous. Incessantly the railroads and steamboats were transporting com- 
pleted commands from the North and East to the seat of Government and 
to the regions threatened with battle. 

During the Rebellion the entire forces sent into the service by the State 
of Rhode Island, consisted of eight regiments of infantry, (three for 
three months, and two for nine months) ; three regiments and one squadron 
of cavalry, (the squadron for three months) ; three regiments of heavy ar- 
tillery ; one regiment of light artillery, consisting of eight batteries (two 



24 



SHOT AND SHELL. 



[August r 



light batteries (unattached) for three months) ; and a company of infantry 
stationed at Lovell General Hospital, Portsmouth Grove, as hospital guards. 
The numbers enrolled were infantry, 10,832 ; cavalry, 4,394 ; light artillery, 
2,979 ; heavy artillery, 5,644 ; navy, 645 ; total, 24,494. Aggregate ex- 
penditure of State, cities and towns of Rhode Island, $6,500,772.15. All 
this, be it recorded, was accomplished without resorting to a draft. Such 
a volunteer record has a lustre. 

We have mentioned that our regiment had been called for b}~ the State, 
though for a time the original order was re-called that it might be modified 
and adjusted to the pressure of circumstances. The order that finally gave 
us full legal existence and form may be here inserted : — 

" State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations?^) 
Adjutant-Genekal's Office, r 
Providence, August 12, 1861. ) 

1 1 General Orders, No. 46. 

" The Third Regiment of Infantry from the State of Rhode Island, will be 
organized under the direction of Brig-Gen. C. T. Robbins, acting as Colonel?. 
Christopher Blanding, acting as Lieutenant-Colonel, and Peter A. Sinnott, Major, 
with Brigade-Major Balch as assistant to General Robbins. 

"The above officers are also constituted a board to examine those who may 
be recommended by companies for commission to the Commander-in-Chief. 

" Officers who have enlisted men for this regiment will report immediately with 
a muster-roll of their non-commissioned officers and privates at the Headquarters 
of General Robbins, Custom House street. 

" Companies will be organized in accordance with Orders No. 15 from the War 
Department, viz. : 1 First Sergeant ; 4 Sergeants ; 8 Corporals ; 1 Drummer ; 1 
Fifer ; 1 Wagoner ; 64 Privates. 

"Each company may recommend officers, 1 Captain, 1 First Lieutenant, and 1 
Second Lieutenant. 

" The Commander-in-Chief in his anxiety to have men of the highest quali- 
fications head the Regiments from this State, has delayed the permanent appoint- 
ment of the two highest Field Officers. 

" Companies will be mustered into the service of the United States when the 
muster-rolls are completed and the men have passed a thorough surgical examina- 
tion by Doctors Rivers and Millar, who are assigned to that duty. 

" Companies will be furnished clothing, arms, equipments, and cooking 
utensils upon the requisition of the Captains, approved, by General Robbins, upon 
Quartermaster-General Stead, and will go into camp and be drilled, preparatory to 
early marching orders. 

" General Stead will supply rations for the men until furnished by the United 
States Government. Companies will cook their own rations. 

" The Commander-in-Chief takes this opportunity to observe that the State 
gives to each man mustered into this Regiment a bounty of fifteen dollars ($15), 
which, with the additional pay from the United States Government, pays this 
Regiment more than was originally given to the First and Second Regiments. 

"Rhode Island looks to her soldiers in the field ; and, when circumstances 
deprive them of the cares and comforts to which they are entitled, she is pledged 
to supply them. 

"By order of the Commander-in-Chief, 

EDWARD C. MAURAN, 
Adjutant-General Rhode Island Militia." 



1861.] 



THIRD R. I. H. ARTILLERY. 



25 



Company C was formed in the armory of the Mechanics Rifles, in 
Providence, and like the other companies was fortunate in receiving some 
members of military education and experience. The first officers were 
Capt. C. W. H. Day, First Lieut. Asa A. Ellis, Second Lieut. John Mor- 
row, Jr. 

Company D was recruited at the armory of the Pawtucket Light Guard, 
in Pawtucket, and was fortunate in its membership, both of officers and 
men. At its organization the officers were Capt. Pardon Mason, First 
Lieut. Augustus W. Colwell. 

Company E was enrolled in the armory of the Providence Artillery, ob- 
taining its members both in and out of the city, but securing strong hands 
and willing hearts. At first its officers were Capt. James E. Bailey, First 
Lieut. John D. Eldridge, Second Lieut. Charles H. Spink. 

Compan}^ F, at first an Irish company, was made up from various parts 
of the State, and had excellent fighting stock. For officers it had First 
Lieut. S. S. Rankin, Second Lieut. W. C. Barney. 

Company G was enlisted from Apponaug and vicinity, in the armory of 
the Kentish Artillery ; it had the right sort of muscle and nerve from the 
beginning. It was mustered in Railroad Hall, in Providence, with the fol- 
lowing officers : Capt. J. H. Gould, First Lieut. Charles R. Brayton, 
Second Lieut. J. B. Blanding. 

Company H was made up at Fort Hamilton, on Long Island, from de- 
tails of the other companies, to complete the regimental organization. Its 
original officers were Capt. Horatio Rogers, Jr., First Lieut. C. R. Bray- 
ton, Second Lieut. William C. Barney. 

* Company I enrolled in Railroad Hall, by Captain Hamill, was intended 
as an Irish company, and had in it some of the best martial qualities of 
the " Gem of the Ocean." This was the first company mustered into the 
service, and it entered Camp Ames the same day with Company A. The 
muster by Colonel Loomis, of the Fifth United States Infantry, occurred 
in Railroad Hall. Its officers were Capt. Hugh Hamill, First Lieut. J. P. 
James, Second Lieut. Jeremiah Lanahan. 

Company K was also originally largely of Celtic stock, furnished from 
different localities, but a unit in patriotic devotion. This company was- 
enlisted by Capt. John T>a,i\ey and Lieut. James Moran. At first its offi- 
cers were Capt. John Dailey, First Lieut. William H. Joyce, Second Lieut^ 
James Moran. 

Companies L and M were added to the original ten companies after 
the command was raised to a heavy Artillery Regiment, and were recruited 
in Providence at the armory of the Marine Artillery. They first reached 
the regiment in the field. They were primarily enlisted for Light Batteries to 
be a part of the First Rhode Island Light Artillery (a temporary organi- 
zation) . Company M was composed of men nearly all of whom stood six 
feet, and were known as the "Grenadiers." Company L composed of 



26 



SHOT AND SHELL. 



[August, 



shorter men, had the sobriquet of the " Pony Battery." On receiving the 
order from Governor Sprague transferring these companies to our com- 
mand great dissatisfaction was felt and expressed amongst the men, and 
they were well nigh mutinous, asserting that they had been sorely deceived. 
The ' ' Grenadiers " especially stood high in their indignation ; but patriot- 
ism shortly overcame all personal feeling. 



CHAPTER III. 



COMPLETION OF THE COMMAND. 

August — September, 1861. 

The sons of Freedom are her shield. 

Aug. 14. B} T order of General Bobbins the regiment went into camp 
in Warwick, on Spring Green Farm, upon the lands of the late Gov. John 
B. Francis, in the vicinity of Pawtuxet, the encampment bearing the name 
of Camp Ames, in honor of Judge Samuel Ames, father of one who after- 
wards became an honored officer with us. 

August 15. Though by General Orders, No. 47, the Governor ap- 
pointed as Captains, C. W. H. Day, Hugh Hamill, John Dailey, T. W. 
Wrightington, S. S. Rankin, James Stokes, Peter Smith, William Harris, 
E. McManus, and William Duffee ; as First Lieutenants, J. J. Comstock, 
Jr.. and William B}Tne ; as Surgeon, F. H. Peckham ; as Chaplain, T. 
Quinn, and requested them to report for inspection, yet only a few of 
these were actually commissioned and mustered into the command. Light 
artillery was at this time the special pride of the State ; the heavier arm 
had its reputation to win, and we were to be the first regiment of volun- 
teers in this aim to enter the Union army. 

As Rhode Island was largely a manufacturing State, she had within her 
borders, especially in her cities and villages, numerous representatives of 
the old world, who had sought our shores on account of our free institutions 
and our large remuneration of labor. The larger portion of this foreign- 
born population was from the Emerald Isle. These lovers of liberty 
heartily espoused the loyal side in our hour of trial, and were ready to 
enter the field as soldiers. Governor Sprague at first conceived the idea 
of making up the regiment of these brave Irishmen. For various reasons — 
such as the difficult}' of finding a sufficiency of officers of that nationality, 
and the natural opposition to all appearances of caste amongst us — the 
project was soon abandoued. This will explain how so much Celtic blood 
was found in the first enlistments of the command. 

Company A was enlisted and drilled at the armory of the National 
Cadets, on North Main Street, Providence, securing some men and officers 



28 . SHOT AND SHELL. [August, 

who had seen previous service. This was the first company to enter Carnp 
Ames, Aug. 14th. The first officers were Capt. Thomas B. Briggs, 
First Lieut. Thomas W. Fry, Second Lieut. M. S. James. 

Company B was enrolled and drilled in squads at Woonsocket, in the 
armory of the Woonsocket Guards, during the latter part of August, and 
was sworn into the service Aug. 31st and Sept. 2d. It then numbered 
three commissioned officers, Capt. L. C. Tourtelott, First Lieut. A. E. 
Greene, Second Lieut. George O. Eddy, five sergeants, eight corporals, 
and sixty-nine privates. Some of its members had previously seen service. 
This company reached Camp Ames on the 4th of September. 

August 17. Col. C. T. Robbins issued his Special Order, No. 1, rela- 
tive to divine serivce to be held in camp the next day by the Chaplain, and 
also in reference to roll calls and uniforms ; and Capt. Hugh Hamill, 
then the officer of the camp, wisely carried all orders into effect, through 
the acting Adjutant, J. J. Comstock, Jr. Camp life now really began, 
and the companies as they were formed, appeared to take their places in 
the command. The restraints of " red tape" at first seemed unnecessarily 
arbitrary, but all soon saw the wisdom of complying with the regulations. 
Unavoidably military service is exacting and firm. Obedience to orders 
and rigid discipline are the characteristics of a proper camp as they are of 
the field. 

Aug. 19. Capt. AsherR. Edd} 7 , United States Army, was appointed 
Colonel of the regiment, and Lieutenant-Colonel Blanding was at the same 
time commissioned as second in command, and the drill and discipline of 
the regiment were in the hands of the latter. The stern school of the sol- 
dier absorbed the time and attention of all. To nearly all the duties were 
new and strange. Dwelling in tents, handling arms, forming platoons, 
battalions and columns, and moving as if to meet a deadly foe, were 
exercises and experiences that demanded study. But the voice of duty 
made the service cheerful and inspiring. 

When our camp-flag rose to the air, our cheers and pledges went heaven- 
ward with it. Beneath its inspiring folds we applied ourselves to the 
studies and exercises necessary for its defence and honor. And in our 
hours of preparation and drill the citizens of Rhode Island flocked to our 
encampment to speak their words of encouragement and cheer. In the 
camp with us was Battery D, Rhode Island Light Artiller}-, under Capt. 
J. Albert Monroe. 

We were not without the appropriate inspirations of martial and patri- 
otic music. As with other commands organized during the early stages of 
the war, we made arrangements for a regimental band, which, on the 23d of 
August, was mustered into the service, under W. T. Marshall, as Drum- 
Major. 

Our first hospital steward was Edwin S. Thurber, who very faithfully 
and acceptably filled his important post. We had an additional and effi- 



1861.] 



THIRD R. I. H. ARTILLERY. 



29 



cient hospital steward detailed from Company E, in November, Fenner H. 
Peckkam. Jr., son of our surgeon. At this stage of the war, and out of so 
many enthusiastic volunteers, it was no easy matter to make a wise selec- 
tion of commissioned officers. Actual and immediate war demanded officers 
of experience if they could be obtained. 

Aug. 27. Governor Sprague officially announced as appointed officers, 
Major, Edwin Metcalf; Captains, T. B. Briggs, George F. Turner, L. C. 
Tourtelott. Hugh Hamill. James E. Bailey, C. W. H. Day, John D alley, 
J. H. Gould, George W. Tew. Albert C. Eddy ; First Lieutenants, William 
P. Martin, Joseph J. Comstock, Jr., Peter J. Turner, John D. Eldridge, 
Thomas TV". Fry, Asa A. Ellis, S. S. Rankin, Charles P. Brayton ; Second 
Lieutenants. Jabez B. Blanding, George O. Eddy, James Moran, Charles 
H. Spink, Martin S. James, Jeremiah Lanahan, William C. Barney, 
Charles G. Strahan. 

Lieutenant Comstock was appointed Adjutant and Lieut. William P. 
Martin, Quartermaster. And immediately to the roster of captains was 
added the name of Richard G. Shaw, who, since the war, has borne a com- 
mission in the Regular Army. 

Perhaps it might be said of our regiment, more truly than of any other 
that Rhode Island sent into the field, that we were just the warm-hearted 
and strong-handed men for mounting and handling heavy guns, and hurling 
shot and shell upon the foe. The working element was largely represented 
amongst us. And our blood, estimated by genealogical records, was of 
mixed nationalities, hued with the roses of England, the shamrock of 
Ireland, the heather of Scotland, and a little genuine Teutonic tinge. We 
happily and strongly represented the composite and libert} T -loving New 
England people — one in heart, and determined to maintain the God-given 
rights of men. A person gifted with the prophetic glance, in looking into 
our faces, might have caught the promise of hard and effective blows from 
us on our country's enemies. 

It was too much to expect that, with whatever talents and acquirements 
we might have as civilians devoted to peaceful pursuits, we should at once 
be adepts in the exercises and arts of war, that in themselves constitute a 
profession. Mistakes at first were inevitable. We fraternally withhold 
the name of the young officer who, in his first essay as a drill officer, 
ordered his men to march endways," and in another instance exclaimed, 
f Darn it, can't you double up without being counted off ?" 

But some of our officers had seen field service in Virginia, besides 
having been educated in the State militia. And of those who had never 
been on an embattled front, some, like Major Metcalf, Lieutenant 
Brayton, Captain Rogers, and others, had abilities, education, rank, 
and influence, that greatly added to our strength. A few of our number 
had known service in foreign lands. 

As with the members of the two regiments that preceded us from Rhode 



30 



SHOT AND SHELL. 



[September, 



Island to the field, we were the recipients of many unmistakable and substan- 
tial favors from the hands of our fellow-citizens. Men and women, from all 
ranks of society, and especially from the wealth} 7 families, not satisfied to 
visit our camp and speak words of cheer, made our officers, companies and 
our hospital, presents that were both very valuable and useful. Such citizens 
as were too old, or too young, or too infirm to enlist, were determined to evince 
their interest in such as girded themselves for the battle. We therefore felt 
that we went out to the field as representative men. Churches and benev- 
olent societies — some of them b} T special labors — aimed to inspire us by 
their gifts and benedictions. That would be a lengthy catalogue which 
should record the donatioos we received and the names of the donors. 

Passing the sentry in imagination, we enter our camp. What a con- 
trast to our home life. Walk along the lines of tents, in the narrow com- 
pany streets and gaze on the insignia of war. Go up near the head-quar- 
ters tent, and stand by the lofty flag-staff from which floats the beautiful 
inspiring standard of the nation — our Star Spangled Banner. Hear the 
roll of the drum, and the rally of the bugle and the fife. Watch the sol- 
diers as, in war harness, they file out of the compan} T streets, and, at the 
vigorous command of officers form into ranks, companies, battalions, and 
regimental line for drill, review and parade. The swell of martial music, 
the weighty tread of battalions, the waving of guidons, the shimmer of 
muskets and swords, all speak of hostility to treason and enthusiastic loy- 
alty to law. Our uniform consisted of gray pants, blue blouse and blue 
cap of the Rhode Island militia pattern. Our arms were the old style 
Springfield rifles. 

Finally the order came for the regiment to break camp and move toward 
the seat of war, touching at New York and reporting to Gen. T. W. Sher- 
man, United States Army. Governor Sprague wishing to review the com- 
mand, asked Lieutenant-Colonel Blanding at what hour he would leave 
Camp Ames, and was answered, "Three o'clock, p. m., precisely." The 
hour came. The music struck, and the column moved, and having got well 
on the road, the Governor's Aid dashed up and said : "Colonel, the Gov- 
ernor expected to review you before you left your camp." " Where is the 
Governor?" asked our commmander. "Up the road here a short dis- 
tance," said the Aid. "I waited, sir, till the time named to move, and 
then ordered forward my column ; please so inform His Excellenc} 7 ," said 
our officer. Returning with this report to the Governor, the Aid soon came 
back and added, "The Governor says, 'All right!' he will review you 
here as you pass." Such was Lieutenant-Colonel Blanding's habitual 
promptness. 



CHAPTER IV. 



DRILLING AT FORT HAMILTON, N. Y. 

September, 1861. 

The loyal stand for duty girt. 

Sept. 7. Proceeding to the Cit}^ of Providence, the regiment formed in 
a square on Exchange Place, and was appropriately addressed by Rev. A. 
H. Clapp and Rev. Thomas Quinn, after which we proceeded to the steamer 
Commodore, at Smith's wharf, and embarked for Fort Hamilton, on 
Long Island, N. Y., then in charge of Gen. T. W. Sherman, United States 
Army, who, at that place and at Annapolis, Md., was organizing an Expe- 
ditionary Corps for a blow on the rebel front. Great interest was felt and 
expressed in Providence by the people in our new and muscular command. 
We left Rhode Island amid the waving of flags, the booming of cannon, and 
a chorus of cheers. 

Sept. 8. Our steamer grounded off the fort, and the regiment was 
detained on board all night, suffering not a little, in some of its members, 
for want of good drinking water, since, through the unwise kindness of 
friends, their canteens had been filled with the " exhilarating" instead of 
the refreshing beverage. Lieutenant-Colonel Blanding, to impress on the 
men a wholesome lesson in reference to providing for marches, was in no 
haste to slake the thirst of the transgressors. Governor Sprague, joining 
us from New York, landed with us on Long Island. While General 
Sherman had his head-quarters for the time at Governor's Island, the post 
was commanded by Lieut. -Col. Martin Burke, United States Army, and 
the garrison of Fort Hamilton was under Maj. Henry B. Clitz, of the 
Twelfth Infantry, United States Army. 

On reaching New York harbor we received the following commu- 
nication : — 

"Head-Quarters, Vol. Brig., New York, Sept. 7, 1861. 
" The Commanding Officer, Third Begt, B. I. Vols. : — 

"Sir : I have to request that you will encamp your regiment in the imme- 
diate vicinity of Fort Hamilton, L. I., at some suitable place convenient for the 
object herein mentioned. 



32 shot and shell. [September, 

" The commanding officer at the fort will no doubt designate to you a proper 
locality, and will place at your disposal, for drill purposes, his field, siege, and 
^barbette ordnance, and all the necessary implements for their use. 

" You will immediately proceed to the rapid instruction of your regiment in 
the elementary school of infantry and artillery. 

'•'As the amount of ordnance at the post is insufficient to employ all your 
•officers and men at the same time, you will have sufficient opportunity to dis- 
cipline them in the indispensable infantry branch ; but care should be taken that 
each and every company is well practiced in the artillery. 

" Your attention in the artillery branch is especially called to the instruction 
of your officers and men in the manual of field, siege and garrison (barbette) ar- 
tillery, in loading and firing with rapidity and judgment, and in moving, mount- 
ing and dismounting the same. 

" The officers should receive a course of theoretical instruction in connection 
with your practical drill. I shall endeavor to obtain for your assistance one or two 
artillery officers. 

" Copies of all orders issued by you, you will please furnish these head-quar- 
rters weekly, on Saturday. 

Very respectfully, your obedient servant, 

T. W. SHERMAN", 

Brigadier-General Commanding." 

This order put us at once upon a heavy artillery status. 

Our encampment was located on the glacis on the eastern side of the 
fort. It was in proximity to a regiment of regulars (composed now 
largely of paroled prisoners of General Twiggs' command in Texas) . Said 
Major Clitz, "This is a good place for a camp if you are not compelled to 
move by these belligerent Regulars." Lieutenant-Colonel Blanding re- 
plied, ' ' I think the Third Rhode Island boys will remain ; it may possibly 
be necessary for the Regulars to move." We remained, and gave the 
Regulars as good as they sent — and won the regards of all the troops at 
the post. Colonel Burke finally paid us very high compliments. 

Sept. 10. Lieutenant-Colonel Blanding issued General Order No. 1, 
naming the camp from General Sherman, and specifying the daily calls : 
reveille, 5|- o'clock, a. m. ; police call — putting tents, company ground 
and the camp in order, following reveille ; peas on a trencher, 7 o'clock ; 
surgeon's call, 8 ; guard-mounting 9 ; company drill, — the manual, follow- 
ing guard-mounting; recall, 12 m. ; roast beef, 1 p. m. ; battalion or com- 
pany drill, 2J ; recall, 5^ ; supper, after recall ; retreat, sunset, marked by 
sunset gun ; tattoo, 9 ; taps 9£ — lights out — all still. 

Martial music stirred all the air around us. Troops from the East were 
steadily pressing on through New York to the seat of war. Washington 
suffered for a moment a little alarm and we were sent for, but General 
Sherman was sure that we would be returned to this post. 

Sept. 14. In obedience to orders from Lieut. -Gen. Winfield Scott, then 
in command of all the forces of the Union, to report immediately in Wash- 
ington, D. C, to aid in meeting an emergency, we promptly left Fort 



1861.] 



THIRD R. I. H. ARTILLERY. 



38 



Hamilton and proceeded by the steamer Transport to Amboy, and thence 
by rail through Philadelphia and Baltimore, in both of which cities we shared 
the hospitality so generously extended to soldiers by the voluntas associa- 
tions existing in those places. The spirit and bounty of Philadelphia were 
particularly noticeable and may never be forgotten. 

On our wa}^ to Washington we first formed the acquaintance of the 
Seventh Connecticut Infantry, under Col. A. H. Terry, a regiment moving 
to its rendezvous at Annapolis, Md., and destined to be our fast friends in 
the heavy struggles that lay before us. We can never speak of Colonel 
(afterwards Major-General) Terry without particular regard. And our 
military acquaintance on our route to Washington and in that city became 
greatly extended. Most hearty visits were exchanged with the Second 
Rhode Island Infantry, then in Camp Brightwood. From that day on, we 
seemed, in heart, to be a part of the forces whose objective point was Rich- 
mond. 

Sept. 16. Reaching the national Capital we were assigned to Camp 
Sprague, the spot made historic to us by Rhode Island's First Regiment, of 
which a number of our officers had been members. We were now associated 
with the forces that afterwards became the famous Army of the Potomac. 

We were greatly impressed by our view of Washington, which was then 
little else than a vast cantonment, where hosts were drilling and swiftly 
girding themselves for the great impending strife. It was only too evident 
that a heavy war was before us. Our generals were diligently planning to 
meet the growing issues ; only a few, however, were let into their secrets. 
The alarm which had summoned us to Washington having subsided without 
requiring the use of our muskets, we were ordered to return to our former 
post, Fort Hamilton, to await, as we found, a movement from that point by 
sea. We returned by the route on which we came, again having occasion 
to bless the Philadelphians. 

Sept. 22. Reaching Fort Hamilton, we entered once more Camp Sher- 
man to wait new developments and orders. 

Muscle and memory were invoked for work. First, we had the full 
school of infantry drill and parade; second, we had the heavy drill on the 
heavy guns ; third, we had the routine and discipline of camp and garrison. 
Apt scholars alone could meet all the demands of these varied tactics. 
Imagine one of our heavy guns and the following drill with it : (1.) Fall in 
detachment. (2.) Detachment to post. (3.) Piece in gear — (by hand- 
spikes). (4.) From battery — (run back on chassis). (5.) Piece to a level 
— (ready to load) . (6.) Enter cartridge. (7.) Ram cartridge. (8.) Enter 
shot. (9.) Ram home. (10.) In battery — (forward to position) . (11.) 
Out of gear — (down on chassis) . (12.) Sight piece — (train on object) . 
(13.) Elevation of piece. (14.) Prime. (15.) Ready. (16.) Fire. In 
actual firing came the sponging, and the forwarding of powder and shell — 



34 



SHOT AND SHELL. 



[October, 



four men being required to lift the shot. Our heaviest pieces weighed 
several tons. 

Already the command had developed a praiseworthy esprit de corps. 
General Sherman required of us regular and full reports. These, Lieuten- 
ant-Colonel Blanding, then in command, promptly made at a given hour. 
On a certain day, as the report was completed, the rain was descending in 
torrents, and Adjt. J. J. Comstock, Jr., questioned whether he might 
not wait a little in forwarding the report, but was instructed to obey the es- 
tablished order even if it "rained pitchforks." As he reached head- 
quarters in the pelting storm, General Sherman paid him a handsome com- 
pliment and added, " Give nry compliments to Colonel Blanding, and say 
to him that the Third Rhode Island is made of the grit that I like ; it is a 
command that I can count on." The Adjutant felt abundantly repaid for 
his drenching, and the incident was a good one for the command. General 
Sherman always felt a pride in us as his artillerists. 

As Colonel Edd} r was a Captain in the United States Army on staff ser- 
vice, and much occupied with that service, he was never more than a nom- 
inal commander of our regiment. Our needs called for a commander to be 
constantly with us. 

Nathaniel W. Brown who had served with honor as Captain of Compairy 
D, of the First Rhode Island Detached Militia, during its three months of 
service, was, on the 17th of September, appointed our Colonel, and was 
mustered as such on the 9th of October. 

On the 5th of October when most of the line and field officers were mus- 
tered into the service, Lieutenant-Colonel Blanding, who assiduously and 
effectively trained us, for reasons satisfactory to himself, if not to us, declined 
to be mustered ; and shortly returned to Piwidence, R. I., where he aided 
in raising the Fifth Rhode Island Volunteers, that took the field as a bat- 
talion under Maj. John Wright. 

The subjoined communication will indicate the rank assigned us at this 
time : — 

" He ad-Qu asters (Expeditionary Corps), ) 
Washington, D. C, Oct. 2, 1861. ) 
" Colonel Brown, Commanding Third Rhode Island Regiment, Fort Hamilton, JS r . Y: — 
"Sir: An officer will be detailed to complete the mustering in of your Regi- 
ment. See that it is done promptly. 

Are you making good progress in the artillery? Great dependence has to be 
placed in your Regiment. They are all the artillerists we shall have. You will 
move in a few days. 

Respectfully, 

T. W. SHERMAN, 

Brigadier-General." 

It will readily be believed that we had not a little pride in the fact thai 
General Sherman was a Rhode Island man. His superior abilities, his com- 
plete soldiership, his elevated rank and just fame, will be an adornment ol 
our State history. 




1861.] 



THIRD R. I. H. ARTILLERY. 



35 



Sometimes the necessary discipline of camp was trying to the trans- 
gressors and amusing to the beholders. At one time, when Captain Rogers 
was officer of the day, he had occasion to make an example of a certain 
offender, and did so by taking a barrel, minus one head and a hole cut in 
the other, and putting it on the man like a coat. As the culprit thus stood 
and walked encased, he was, of course, the laughing-stock of the men. 
Mortified and mad, he at last walked to the top of the glacis, and laid 
down and rolled to the foot of the slope near the cook-house, in the vain 
hope that the barrel would burst in the operation. Even now the men 
laugh as they recall and describe the " rolling sinner." 

The scrutinizing reader of our record and roll will discover the fact that 
several men who were officially appointed by Governor Sprague as officers 
in our command during the period of its formation, were never formally 
mustered with the regiment into the United States service. This is ex- 
plained in part by the choices of the officers themselves, and in part by 
certain after conclusions of the Governor. And it is also proper to state 
that while our regiment was being organized, the State authorities were 
also engaged in making up the Fourth Regiment of Rhode Island Infantry. 
Unavoidable haste under such circumstances led to more or less changes. 
Indeed, some who were recruited for one regiment finally took the field 
with the other. 

Oct. 7. The beautiful regimental flag given by the benevolent and 
patriotic ladies of Providence was formally presented to the command at 
dress-parade by Major Metcalf, who at the same time made in behalf of 
the fair donors an appropriate and impressive address. 

Oct. 8. Henry H. Warfield (Company C) , died of injuries received 
while working a heavy gun. The first death in our camp was deeply laid 
to heart. Our lamented comrade received the funeral honors he deserved. 

Oct. 9. Stephen R. Bucklin, of Pawtucket, formerly commander of the 
Pawtucket Light Guard (State Militia) and a captain for three months 
with Company E, of the First Rhode Island Detached Militia, having 
received his commission as Lieutenant-Colonel, was mustered among us, 
making our field-roll full. 

Here at Fort Hamilton we found William H. Hamner, a Sergeant-Major 
in the Regular Army, who was chosen to give us instruction in the use of 
the heavy guns. He finally received a commission as Second Lieutenant 
in our regiment, and was a valuable accession to the command. He was 
with Major Anderson in Fort Sumter when the rebels assailed that work, 
and it fell to his lot to draw down the flag when the fort was evacuated. 

While at Fort Hamilton colors were also thankfully received from Mrs. 
Martin, of New London, Conn., wife of our Quartermaster. And many 
valuable articles, for the comfort of the camp and the cheer of our hos- 
pital, were sent to us by Mrs. Bucklin (wife of Lieutenant-Colonel Bucklin) 
and other ladies of Pawtucket, R. I. Both at the beginning and through- 



36 



SHOT AND SHELL. 



[October. 



out the war, the patriotism and benevolence of the women in the loyal 
States well matched the devotion and courage of the men. No record of 
the war would be complete that did not render to them this high praise. 
If the}' might not enter the field in person, the}^ entered it in spirit. In 
fact, like ministering spirits, the} T did enter the camps and the hospitals, 
and sent their benedictions to our brave men in all our marches and on all 
our fields of battle. 



CHAPTER V. 



FORWARD TO FORTRESS MONROE, VA. 
October, 1861. 



The armies gathering to the front. 

General Sherman had been vigorously preparing his Expeditionaiy 
Corps. His forces were now to be concentrated and fully organized for 
their appointed descent upon the rebel lines. Of our destination we re- 
mained profoundly ignorant. In war time soldiers may only know their 
orders. 

Oct. 12. Animated by the order of " forward to the front," down came 
tents, together rolled our effects, and we embarked on the large, staunch 
steamer Cahawba (Captain Baker) and headed south. As the north star 
receded, the sea winds saluted us and introduced us only too fully into 
the mysteries of " life on the ocean wave." Quite too majestically for the 
strength and equilibrium of our stomachs .did the ocean rock our speeding 
ship ; moreover the rain kept us much between decks. 

Oct. 14. Running up the Chesapeake, we disembarked in the after- 
noon, despite the storm, under the imposing walls and guns of Fortress 
Monroe, and were at once ordered to encamp about a mile beyond the 
fortress, towards the village of Hampton. We reached our camping- 
ground — low and now very wet — about 9 o'clock in the evening ; and the 
water we had to drink was quite distasteful from its intimacy with the 
Virginia mud. We named our location Camp Hamilton. 

Of our arrival here we will let Capt. A. E. Greene give a few incidents : — 
4 'And didn't it rain? It is my impression that the regiment felt about as 
.blue at this time as at any period of their service ; at least the writer of this 
did. But brighter things were in store for at least one officer and a few 
men. There was a young fellow of a jovial disposition, whom the Woon- 
socket boys knew at home before the war, by the name of Jim Thayer, but 
of whom they had not heard for some time. It appears that he had stra} T ed 
away and joined a New York regiment, and was stationed near Fortress 
Monroe, and was on detached service in charge of some outside duty which 



38 



SHOT AND SHELL. 



[October,, 



in a measure left him free from military routine. Well, it seems that as the 
regiment was marching through the rain towards their camp, Jim espied 
Company B, and knowing how we must feel, and desirious of doing as he 
certainly would be done by, made certain arrangements and the next day 
made his appearance in camp. And the word was passed among the right 
ones, "Jim Thayer has come and has brought a keg of lager." We greeted 
Jim heartily and soon made the acquaintance of his lager. And it is wonder- 
ful how soon things brightened up. A quart of lager inside a fellow who has- 
been contending all night with the cold and rain makes the world look brighter 
to him, for a time at least. And as a sort of sequel to the lager, the storm 




FORTRESS MONROE IN 1861. 



cleared awa} T , and during the remainder of our short sta}~ here, we enjoyed 
ourselves very much in examining the different camps and, especially, as 
we were to be artillerists, in inspecting the fortifications and guns in and 
around Fortress Monroe." 

Though our term of artillery study here was short, it was Very serviceable 
to us in furnishing hints and general ideas. Our men were quick to accept 
the lessons presented to their view. 

While here, Companies A and C exchanged their Springfield rifles for 
the Whitney rifles with sabre bayonets. Here, too, we laid aside our gray 
pants and blouse, except for fatigue dut} T , and drew blue pants and coats v 



1861.] 



THIRD R. I. H. ARTILLERY. 



39 



and donned the genuine regulation fatigue caps common to most of the 
troops. 

We may here speak of our first acquaintance with the New York Engi- 
neers, under Col. E. Serrell. When they reached Fortress Monroe in a 
storm they were wet, chilled, hungry, and short of rations. Remembering 
our own landing here, we hastened to greet them as true brothers, and 
immediately furnished them with hot coffee and the rations requisite for 
their cheer. From that day a warm friendship existed between the com- 
mands, and the attachment was afterwards further cemented in heavy siege 
operations. Colonel Serrell was a wortlry and efficient officer. 

Fortress Monroe, commanding Hampton Roads, Norfolk, and James 
River, is built of brick and stone, and encloses an area of sixty acres. Its 
protecting ditch is 150 feet wide and twenty deep. The work mounts 400 
guns. Opposite the fortress, in the middle of the Roads, is an old fortifica- 
tion now known as the Rip Raps, used as a place of imprisonment for 
criminal soldiers and sailors — especially those convicted of mutiny. The 
village of Hampton had been laid in ruins by the rebels. They even 
burned the old church, the bricks for which were brought from England. 
In the ruins around us we began to learn something of the spirit and reso- 
lution of the secessionists with whom we were soon to contend. 

Our study of Hampton Roads and the surroundings prepared us to 
afterwards recall the locality with peculiar interest when it became the 
remarkable theatre of war between the giant Merrimac and the little 
but might} 7 Monitor ; an event that marked a new era in our struggle 
and a new development of modern naval warfare. We could also in thought 
afterwards look upon the forces here marshalled under McClellan, under 
Burnside, under Butler, under Grant. And we were, in the end of the 
war, sure that rebel Jeff was ' ' in a tight place " when he found himself a 
prisoner in Fortress Monroe. 

As Rhode Island was the first State in the Union to present to the nation 
a battery of light artillery — the first battery in the history of our country 
to use rifled field-pieces (James' rifled guns) — so was she also the first to 
present to the Government a regiment of heavy artiller} 7 , ten companies — 
soon increased to twelve — the first regiment in our countiy and in the 
world to wield monster rifled guns, and with them to achieve such results 
in reaching distant points and breaching forts of mason work, as have given 
to our country's gunnery a world-wide reputation, and compelled great 
modifications in the artillery theories and practices of the world. Our 
artillery pride, as a regiment, was doubtless not a little quickened from the 
fact that, among volunteers, we thus held the right of the line in our arm of 
the service. 

It enters not into our design, however interesting and instructive the 
subject might be to some, to give a history of heavy guns and the manner 
of their construction ; that matter would of itself require a volume. Artil- 



40 



SHOT AND SHELL. 



[October. 



lery, however, in a proper sense, has been known only a few centuries, and 
has, within the last century, undergone great changes of enlargement, im- 
provement and efficiency, and now holds veiy great prominence in warfare. 
Up to 1860 English artillerists had but little confidence in rifled pieces, either 
for field or siege work. But rifled field guns were successfully emplo}^ed by 
the French, in 1859. Our war, as the history of our regiment will fully show, 
made a new era in the construction and use of both light and heavy rifled 
ordnance. Other changes, especially in Germany, have since followed. 
And as the intricate science of the construction of heavy guns and the various 
projectiles, both solid and chambered, is yet in a state of evolution, we shall 
be more readily pardoned for not discussing the matter in our narrative. 

To avoid repetition and save space in our volume, we may here state 
that we shall not pause in our narrative to give, under their respective dates, 
all the changes and promotions among the officers of the regiment, but refer 
the reader to the chapter giving our regimental roll, carefully prepared by 
our Adjutant, where all such information may be found in a succinct and 
reliable form. We intend, however, to mention, under the right dates, the 
killed. and wounded, and all instances of death from wounds and diseases. 

Of our experience at Fortress Monroe, Lieut. George Carpenter thus 
wrote in a home letter : 6 ' The rain fairly poured ; the tents were scarcely 
any shelter, the water dripping down upon us ; and soon the water began 
to rise around our feet. The men fairly broke and scampered for higher 
ground. But a Yankee in misery has a happ}- faculty of joking about it, 
and the camp rang with jokes and laughter. The tents and bed-sacks were 
fished out and the tents were pitched on higher ground, though there was 
small preference in elevation. Our last week there was little else than a 
continual storm ; wet, dampness and discomfort reigned supreme." The 
soaked and flooded condition of the Twentieth New York (Turners), camped 
by our side, furnished a lively cut in the New York Illustrated News ; it 
might have passed quite well for ours. 



CHAPTER VI. 



FORWARD TO SOUTH CAROLINA. 
October — November, 1861. 

The stormy sea but glasses life. 

The secret of our destination was as yet only known to Com. S. F. 
Dupont and General Sherman, under whose direction and leadership, in 
Hampton Roads and at Fortress Monroe, with great care and thoroughness, 
our expedition was fitted for the capture of Port Royal, South Carolina, the 
finest harbor on the southern coast — a broad, deep, beautiful estuary, nearly 
half-wa}^ between Savannah and Charleston, formed by the Broad and Port 
Royal rivers and various important bayous. This was to be a base of fur- 
ther advances upon the Confederate front in the south. 

The fleet consisted of seventeen war vessels, with thirty-three transports 
and supply vessels — fifty in all — a fair armada, under the command of 
Commodore Dupont. 

The steam transports were the Vanclerbilt, Baltic, Atlantic, Ocean 
Queen, Daniel Webster, Ariel, Empire City, Illinois, Roanoke, Coalzacoal- 
cos, Star of the South, Osceola, Philadelphia, Union, Marion, Parkersburg, 
Ericson, Cahawba, Potomac, Locust Point, Ben Deford, Belvidere, May- 
flower, Oriental, Matanzas, Governor, Peerless, Winfield Scott, and perhaps 
others not now recalled. The sailing transports were the famous Great 
Republic, Ocean Express, Golden Eagle and Zenas Coffin. A list of the 
naval keels is not now before us, but many of their names will appear when 
we come to their hour of action. The whole fleet, moving in three columns, 
led by the flag-ship, Wabash, on the sea would occupy an area of twelve 
miles square. We belonged to the centre column and were near its rear, 
where we had a grand view of the whole fleet. 

The army, commanded by Gen, T. W. Sherman, consisted of three brig- 
ades, numbering fifteen thousand men, under Brig. -Generals Egbert L. Viele, 
Isaac I. Stevens, and Horatio G. Wright — all veteran officers. First Brig - 
ade, Third New Hampshire, Eighth Maine, Forty-sixth, Forty-seventh and 
Forty-eighth New York ; Second Brigade, Eighth Michigan, Fifth Pennsyl- 
vania, One Hundredth (" Roundheads") Pennsylvania, Seventy-ninth New 



42 



SHOT AND SHELL. 



[November, 



York ("Highlanders") ; Third Brigade, Sixth and Seventh Connecticut, 
Ninth Maine, Fourth New Hampshire. To these were added the Third 
Rhode Island, Hamilton's (late Sherman's) Regular Battery of six rifled 
pieces, and a battalion of New York Volunteer Engineers under Colonel 
Serrell, all of which reported directly to General Sherman, whose head- 
quarters were on the Atlantic. Twent3'-five coal vessels to supply neces- 
sary fuel, were dispatched, under convoy of the Vandalia, one da}' in 
advance of the armed command. 

Oct. 29. All things being in readiness, we moved out of Hampton 
Roads on our war mission, with sealed orders. Our regiment was on 
board the Cahawba, that brought us from New York to Fortress Monroe, 
and on board of which we had been for six days, waiting for our consorts 
to complete their preparations. As we put to sea and passed out from 
the capes of Virginia, the view of our armada, the largest that ever passed 
along this coast, was a grand and sublime one. It was evident that heavy 
work was somewhere intended, though we could not conjecture where. 

Oct. 30. The morning was pleasant, but soon a strong wind from the 
southwest raised a heavy and ugly sea that compelled the two ferry boats, 
Ethan Allen and Commodore Perry (intended for landing troops) , to put 
back, since the waves dashed over and through them. 

Oct. 31. With a smoother sea and a mild air, we sped on our way 
with all our remaining fleet, and greatly enjo} T ed the grandeur of the ocean. 
But this was only the lull before what was coming. 

Nov. 1. In the middle of the day the wind from the southwest in- 
creased to a gale. Now we " land-lubbers" were put to our metal. A few 
amongst us, however, had smelt salt air before, and could box the com- 
pass and splice a rope. These, for a time, kept their legs. Some of the 
vessels hove to ; others scud before the storm. In the night the wind rose 
to a hurricane. Our noble ship fell into a trough of the sea and made two 
alarming lurches, turning everything movable upside down, and throwing 
most of us from our bunks. 

From the roll of the ship, a heav}' water-cask broke its hampers and 
rolled with the noise of thunder back and forth across the ship and against 
the companionway. This, with the smash of crockery in the cabin and the 
general confusion on deck, created such an alarm among the men below 
that they attempted to rush above, but were stopped by the guard, when a 
mixed scene occurred, some crying, some swearing, some praying. At 
this, Sergeant (afterwards Lieutenant) Keene, leaping from his berth in 
shirt, drawers and stockings, flew into the crowd and said : " Stand back ! 
Go below ! Don't be frightened ! This is nothing. It will be time enough 
to make a fuss when the craft goes end over end." 

The Cahawba was a fine transport steamer of seventeen hundred tons 
and capable of carrying fifteen hundred troops. Formerly she plied between 
New York and New Orleans, in which latter -place she was when the wave 



1861.] 



THIRD R. I. H. ARTILLERY. 



of Rebellion broke on the city, and she was seized by a party of Texans, 
but was released by the Governor of Louisiana. She was chartered by our 
Government for war purposes at a cost of $800 per day. Captain Baker 
was an accomplished seaman and gentleman. Thus we were fortunate in 
our transport, that, under her skillful commander, securely rode the pond- 
erous and contending billows. Still, we were not in a mood to sing 

" A home on the rolling- deep." 
If we are not mistaken Neptune's trident is a kind of stomach pump. 

We had heard of Cape Hatteras, but now we took our hats off before 
the famous promontory, around which northern and southern winds strug- 
gle for the mastery. Here, now, all the furies seemed to be joined in 
deadly strife. It was a sublime and fearful war of the elements. The 
billows swelled, and foamed, and broke in awful grandeur. The gale rose 
and roared, sweeping clouds and seas before it as if it were an infinite 
and wrathful power, and the rain fell in torrents. Our navy and army in 
this battle shrunk into insignificance. We were the sport of the hurricane- 
Whatever we thought of our ability to meet hostile human forces, we here 
thought of the measure and irresistibility of Divine power. To add to the 
majesty of the hurricane, at one time in the deep darkness of the night the 
lightning broke above and around us in sheets of flame. 

We may add a word in reference to the Governor. On her, Henry A. 
Bartlett, son of Hon. John R. Bartlett, Secretary of State of Rhode 
Island, was a Lieutenant of Marines. She was a transport, under Capt. 
C. L. Litchfield, carrying a marine battalion of 350 men, under Maj. J. G. 
Reynolds, and heavily laden with stores. The gale broke her hog-braces, 
carried away her smoke-stack and rudder-chain ; meanwhile her cylinder- 
head blew out and her rudder-head broke. To her signal of distress — 
ensign half-mast, union down — the Isaac P. Smith and the Sabine 
promptly responded, and by the latter all on board save a corporal and 
six privates were rescued. 

The small steamer Peerless, laden with beef cattle, succumbed to the 
storm, though all the men were rescued b}^ the gunboat Mohican. 

The propeller Osceola, Capt. J. F. Morrill, loaded with beeves and pro- 
visions, was driven on the Da} T Breaker, off North Island, on the coast of 
South Carolina, where all on board were taken prisoners. 

The steamer Union, Capt. J. I. Swain, went ashore off Beaufort, N. C, 
where her crew and the soldiers — seventy-three in all — were taken 
prisoners. 

The Winfield Scott barely escaped, and the Isaac Smith saved herself 
by throwing her armament into the sea. 

Driven like chaff before the howling blasts, our vessels were widely and 
we feared hopelessly separated. Deep and convulsive sea-sickness pre- 
vailed. Old Neptune ought to have been satisfied with the tribute we paid 
him. 



I 



44 



SHOT AND SHELL. 



[November. 



Withal the protracted voy&ge produced a tobacco famine, wherein 1 
there was not a little suffering ; a plug of the narcotic constituted quite a I 
capital ; some men offered a dollar for a chew ; some men exercised their I 
benevolence ; others indulged in speculation ; we realized how great a I 
thing a habit is. 

Doubtless Dr. Stickne}^ could have told us something about the loss oi 
certain hospital stores, in the hold of the ship, during the voyage, such as a 
case of whiskey, broken more by bayonets than the billows, and some of the 
liquorice. All will recollect a very pungent odor that filled the whole 
ship, from a bottle of valerianate of ammonia, broken by the intruders 
upon the medical stores. The tell-tale perfume and the condition of certain 
of the marauders revealed the whole story. 

Nov. 3. By evening twenty-five vessels had anchored off Port Ro3 T al 
bar, which was about ten miles from the coast. 

Before us lay the prize we sought, the splendid harbor, around which 
lay the islands of Hilton Head and Pinckney on the south ; St. Philip, 
Hunting, Helena, Paris and Port Roj^al on the north and west. The 
parish — St. Luke's — of which these islands formed a part, was the richest 
agricultural district in South Carolina, with a population of about thirty- 
nine thousand, of which thiiiy-two thousand were negroes. These islands, 
and particularly the city of Beaufort, on Port Ro}^al Island, were the 
favorite summer resorts of the wealthy planters and leading men in South 
Carolina. Here, perhaps, more than in any other region, was planned and 
nurtured the unrighteous scheme of secession. < 

It will be remembered by historical students that Port Royal harboi 
was first entered hy and received its name from the Huguenot colony, 
under the famous navigator Jean Ribault, of Dieppe, May 27, 1562, when 
a small but unsuccessful settlement was effected on the banks of Port 
Royal River, where still may be seen the remains of their concrete fort, 
then named Fort Charles, now called Fort Plantation. The name of the 
cit}' of Beaufort and of the island, river and harbor, still perpetuate the 
memor}' of that heroic band that fled from the religious persecutions of the 
sixteenth century in their fatherland. 

On our outward voyage occurred two deaths : William H. Worden 
(Company C), died of fever, Nov. 2, and was tearfully committed to the 
deep, after funeral solemnities, while still the gale was raging. We were 
also called to bury T. H. Trumbull (Compaq- E) , in the same billow} 
grave, Nov. 4th. ' ' Philo " — Silas Weston — thus describes the last service 
we rendered : u The body was sewed up in canvas, with cannon balls at- 
tached to prevent it from floating. Mournful, indeed, was the sight when 
we beheld it lying upon the guards of the ship, with the beloved flag of our 
country wrapped around it during the burial service, — the solemnity of the 
scene being heightened as the flag was removed and the body was com- 
mitted to the great sea." Adds another, " The affair was the most solemn 
that I ever participated in." 




1861.] 



THIRD R. I. H. ARTILLERY. 



45 



We were now near our objective point, and in the presence of the foe. 

Nov. 4. Our gun-boats on a reconnoisance ran up and exchanged a 
few shots with the rebel forts and fleet, thus being assured that our land- 
ing would be stubbornly disputed. 

Nov. 5. The navy had quite a skirmish with four of Tatnall's gun- 
boats, pushing them up the harbor. We had thus learned the positions 
and strength of the enemy. Our ships of war now made ready their guns 
and ammunition. The troops on the transports quickly rubbed the sea-born 
rust from their muskets and set in order their accoutrements. Here, at 
last, was the real, ruffled front of war. But our spirits and purposes were 
unruffled by fear ; we came to do the kind of work that lay before us. 



CHAPTER VII. 



CAPTURE OF PORT ROYAL, S. C. 
November, 1861. 

Tlie hour of fiery conflict comes. 

The channels of entrance to the southern ports are usually tortuous, 
and extend far outward to sea, leading through the broad belts of sand 
that shield the shores from the billows of the ocean. Long and winding is 
the entrance to Port Royal. On the coast of South Carolina, as all along 
the coasts of the seceded States, the rebels had removed the buoys and 
blown up all the light-houses that might guide our loyal keels. 

Our fleet and the transports now la} T off the bar. The channel was 
carefully sounded, and little buoys, with signal flags attached, were placed 
at all the channel angles. Expectancy was a tip-toe, and both navy and 
army were waiting and impatient for the stroke. 

Some one tells the story of a slaveholder remarking to one of his 
negroes : " The forts at Hilton Head are impregnable ; they cannot be 
taken. I tell } t ou that God Almighty could not take those forts at Hilton 
Head." Whereupon, the slave, with a significant look and turn of the 
head, replied, "Yes, Massa ; but spose de Yankees come wid God Al- 
mighty ? " 

And here it may be stated that while Gen. T. F. Draj'ton was in com- 
mand of the rebel force on Hilton Head, his brother, Capt. Percival 
Drayton, a loyal officer, true to his countiy and obedient to orders, com- 
manded the Pocahontas, in our fleet, and took his place in the battle to 
sweep the insurgent front. Capt. Charles Steedman, of the Bienville, was 
also a South Carolinian. Verily, the few loyal men in the South, particu- 
larly those holding commissions from the Federal Government, were 
peculiarly situated. The more honor to those who stood by the nation. 

At the entrance of Port Ro}~al harbor were two large and formidable 
rebel fortifications. Fort Walker, on Hilton Head, at the south of the 
channel, mounting twent3 T -three heav}* guns, some of them rifled, several 
of them imported from England, and Fort Beauregard, on Hunting Island, 
at the north of the Channel, on Bay Point, mounting twenty guns, and 



1861.] 



THIRD R. I. H. ARTILLERY. 



47 



supported by an outwork half a mile distant, mounting five guns. These 
forts, W alker and Beauregard, were two and a half miles apart, and fully 
commanded the channel and harbor. Some two miles beyond the forts, 
near the junction of Port Royal and Broad Rivers, was the boastful fleet of 
the ill-starred Commodore Tatnall, consisting of eight gun-boats. The 
rebels also had a strong land force on Hilton Head, for the support of fleet 
and forts, commanded by General Drayton, whose residence was near 
Fort Walker. 

MAP OF COAST. 



V 



HALL <J 



IDE 

I 

PORT 
ROYAL 



rUBARCATIOI 

rjROOPS 



COO SAW H f. 



BLUFFTON 



FT KW*P* 

WALKER]? aPyf, 

o 



1 



Nov. 7. 
At 9 o'clock, 
a. m., the flag- 
ship Wabash sig- 
xP ^?f J ^ nailed to the war-ships 
to form in order of battle, 

'"4^r0 * n ^ w0 commns 5 made up as 
follows : First and main column, 
q ~ Wabash, Susquehanna, Mohican, 
Seminole, Pawnee, Unadilla, Pembina ; 
second column, on the starboard, and a lit- 
tle in rear of the head of the first column, 
Bienville. Seneca, Curlew, Penguin, Ottawa, Yan- 
^ dalia. The Wabash led the wa}\ As thus they 

iiiAwcE steamed into the harbor the sight was a magnificent one. 

The troops on the transports were excited spectators. The 
channel between the rebel forts being about a mile and a quarter 
wide, gave fair scope for the naval manoeuvre contemplated. 

As the fleet moved up, the rebel forts opened their largest and best 
guns with heated shot on the head of the main column. At ten minutes 
past ten o'clock, the Wabash, having reached the point between the forts, 
opened with all her guns, giving two broadsides, one to each fort, plowing 
their fronts handsomely. This column then took a circuit in the form of 
an ellipse between the forts, giving each fort broadsides as the vessels 
passed them, hugging up to the forts as closely as the channel of the har- 




48 



SHOT AND SHELL. 



[November, 



bor would allow. The second column, passing on the left of the harbor 
and giving broadsides to Beauregard took its station bej^ond, up the harbor 
to engage TatnalPs fleet, if necessary, and prevent its interference, and also 
keep up a flanking fire on Fort Walker. 

The first and main column was now hotly engaged in its work, moving 
in its elliptical orbit, pouring its thundering broadsides into the forts as 
they were passed, and receiving in return the fiercest, heaviest blows the 
rebels could inflict ; the approach of the column to Fort Walker was within 
six hundred yards, It was a magnificent fight between fleet and forts. 
We had read of the battle of the giants, and had seen falling stars ; but 
here was something new ; so thought the rebels. Tatnall, with his gun- 
boats fled into Skulk Creek towards Savannah. Drayton's infantry was as 
powerless to help the forts as our army was to assist Dupont. 

Three grand, thundering circuits of the harbor were made, and about 
fifty blazing broadsides had been delivered, when the bruised and disabled 
forts gave over the contest and the rebels struck their flag. This was at a 
quarter to three in the afternoon. Tears of joy ran down the hardest 
cheeks, while huzzas from nav} T and army rent the air. One of the tars 
exclaimed : "We have given them Hatteras." 

Away fled the " Confeds," as one expressed it, at " treble-double quick/* 
leaving everything behind, tents, trunks, clothes, knapsacks, muskets, 
revolvers, camp equipage, and even swords ; nor did they stop to spike 
their guns or cany off their dead. This was worse than the stampede of 
Bull Run. 

When the flag-ship's boat reached Fort Walker, its officer found a per- 
fect desolation, while General Drayton and his bruised, panic-stricken 
force were flying over fields and through forests to the shores of Skulk 
Creek. Quickly went up over Walker the Stars and Stripes, when again 
the most rapturous cheering from fleet, and transports filled the heavens. 
Around la}' the dead and a scene of indescribable ruin. A rebel surgeon 
had been killed in the bomb-proof while dressing a wound. 

In the battle we had eight killed and twent} T -three wounded. The 
enemy lost 120 killed, and had about 100 wounded. We captured twenty- 
five prisoners, forty-eight cannons, and quantities of stores. 

Thus, in about six hours, throwing 3,500 shot and shell, we had utterly 
broken this proud rebel front, captured the strongholds, demoralized 
Drayton, disgraced bragging Tatnall, routed all opposition, and taken pos- 
session of the best military base on the southern coast. 

And here we would not forget to mention that the rebel dead were 
tenderly buried, not far from the fort, under the direction of Commander 
Charles Steedman, the Episcopal service being pronounced by the Chap- 
lain of the Wabash. 

Special mention should be made of the valiant and effective part purged 
in the bombardment of Fort Walker by the steam-tug Mercury, acting 



1861.] 



THIRD R. I. H. ARTILLERY. 



49 



apart from the regular line of assailing ships. She ran close in to the shore, 
directly under the shadow of the fort, so near that the guns of the fort 
coulcl not be sufficiently depressed to harm her. Here she played her guns 
on the foe in the most gallant and telling manner. 

General Sherman disembarked some of his troops from the transports 
in boats directly in front of Fort Walker, and a few in boats on the ocean- 
face of the island, in the rear of the fort ; but he found no occasion for 
charge or assault. 

The strategy emploj'ed in the capture of Port Royal harbor is worthy 
of special remark. The original plan of landing troops in boats on the 
sea-face of Hilton Head to attack Fort Walker in the rear, when the navy 
had disabled the guns in front, 
had to be abandoned on ac- 
count of our loss of lighters 
and surf-boats in the gale, and 
the heavy Confederate force on 
the island to dispute our land- 
ing. And the rebels, in antici- 
pation of a naval attack — for 
somehow the}^ had received in- 
telligence of our coming, — and 
supposing that our war-ships 
would take position in line 
along the centre of the roads, 
had trained their guns and 
practiced on that line. But 
Dupont — genuine sea-king as 
he was — not only kept his 
ships in motion, but avoided 
altogether the fatal line select- 
ed ; now hugging Beauregard, 
now hugging Walker, never 

passing twice exactly in the same track ; thus constantly 
enemy's aim. The manoeuvre was alike novel and astounding, inaugurating 
a new feature in naval warfare. 

Company C, of our regiment, was the first of the army to set foot on 
the shore and to' enter the fort, and with Company B were put into the fort 
at once as its loyal garrison. The next da}^ Compan} T D was thrown into 
Fort Beauregard, to hold it with the region around it. Infantry encamped 
around the forts. In Fort Walker we found the rebel shot-heater still in 
blast with its red-hot shots, and the grommets of Spanish moss in buckets 
of water, to use as wads between the cartridges and the hot shot. 

And here we have the satisfaction of recording the fact, appreciated by 
all soldiers, that the Confederate flag of Fort Walker, the first captured 

4 




PLAN OF BATTLE AT PORT ROYAL HARBOR. 



thwarting the 



50 



SHOT AND SHELL. 



[November. 



in South Carolina, was found by Capt. C. W. H. Day (Company C), in 
the magazine, and so became the trophy of our command, and afterwards 
was put in the keeping of Prescott Post, No. 1, Grand Army of the Repub- 
lic, Providence, R. I., where unfortunately it was destroyed by fire in the 
Fall of 1877. 

By the capture of Port Royal harbor we at once gained possession of the 
coast, from the North Edisto River, South Carolina, to Ossabaw Sound, 
Georgia. 

General Drayton reported that he had under him, on the morning of the 
7th, 1,837 men, the force being Colonel Wagner's First Regiment Artillery. 
South Carolina Militia ; three companies of Colonel Hayward's Ninth 
Regiment South Carolina Volunteers ; four companies of Colonel Duno- 
vant's Twelfth Regiment South Carolina Volunteers ; Captain Screven's 
mounted guerillas, as scouts and couriers ; 450 of Captain Berry's Georgia 
troops ; Captain Read's battery of two eleven-inch howitzers and fifty 
men ; and Colonel DeSaussure's Fifteenth Regiment South Carolina Volun- 
teers. Fort Walker was manned by 220, afterwards augmented to 255 men. 
The force at Bay Point consisted of 640 men, under Colonel Dunovant ; the 
149 men in Fort Beauregard being under Captain Stephen Elliott, Jr. 

On taking possession of Fort Beauregard, at Bay Point, we fortunately 
discovered, in season to avert a catastrophe, a well-laid plot for blowing 
up the fort and destroying the loyal party that might first enter it. A 
train of powder, connecting with the magazine, was so laid that the hand 
that should haul down the Confederate flag would at the same instant fire 
the diabolical train. An eagle-eyed Yankee detected the connecting link 
and the train. 

A short distance from Fort Walker stood the large two-storied mansion 
of General Drayton, and here, before the battle, might have been heard 

" The sound of revelry by night." 

It was another sound when one of our eleven-inch shots let new light 
straight through the lordly castle. 



CHAPTER VIII. 



FORTS AND OUTPOSTS. 
November — December, 1861. 

Beneath the prbud palmettoes camped. 

We immediately devoted ourselves to the work 
of holding the ground we had captured. Fort 
Walker was repaired and named Fort Welles. 
Fort Beauregard was refitted and named Fort 
Seward. Fortified outposts in the rear of these 
forts and on the exposed points of the islands 
were secured as soon as possible. On Hilton 
Head batteries were sent to Seabrook and Brad- 
dock's Points. The men of our command were 
relied on for handling the heavy 2:1ms. The head- 

FORT WALKER. ° J ° . 

quarters of the command for a time were in Fort 
Welles. Shortly, Lieutenant-Colonel Bucklin quartered with the companies 
stationed at Bay Point. 

Not a little of historic interest attached to the capture of the islands 
around Port Itoval harbor, from the fact that here were the homes of the 
Elliotts, Di^tons, Popes, Jenkins, Barnwells, Stuarts, Fripps, Capers, 
Middletons, Fullers, Rhetts, and other of the old dominant families of 
South Carolina. And here once lived some of the famous Pinckneys. 
One can hardly imagine more attractive shores, rivers, baj^s, islands, and 
grand specimens of semi-tropical forests. 

The cit}' of Beaufort, though small, was the seat of a proud aristocracy 
of the southern type. And we found, near the centre of the island of 
Port Royal, alone in a clearing among the great trees, on the north side of 
the* Shell Road, a large one-storied building, called " The Club House," 
reported to have been built purposely by a wealthy political club — the 
leaders in society — for the secret discussion of southern questions of 
state. When the meetings were held, a watch was stationed around the 
building, and no written record of the doings was permitted. Here, it 
was said, the heresy and crime of secession was born and fostered. Here 
Calhounism developed into rebellion. 




52 



SHOT AND SHELL. 



[November, 



Be it remembered as a historic fact that before the war the inhabitants 
of South Carolina consisted of five classes, thus: (1.) The aristocracy, 
founded on blood and wealth, slave-holding planters (plantations averag- 
ing 1,600 acres and more than 200 slaves), holding more than half the 
land and slaves in the State, and devoted to the chase, dissipation, study, 
hospitality, politics, and public interests. (2.) The respectable people, 
having wealth and culture, but no ancestral rank, having less lands and 
slaves than the aristocracy, and called farmers ; or being merchants, clerks, 
and corporation men. (3.) The working people, owning no slaves ; such 
as farmers doing their own work, and carpenters and the various kinds 
of mechanics. (4.) The poor whites, or sand-hillers, or crackers, squalid, 
lazy, ignorant, penniless, nearly as much despised as the slaves. (5.) The 
slaves counted as nothing in themselves, but set as cyphers at the left of 
their masters' names. Slavery, state-rights, and the rebellion had their 
paternity and encouragement from the aristocracy. 

When the rebel forces, and the planters with their families, on the 
capture of Port Royal, fled to the main-land, they forced away with them 
as many as possible of the slaves, and, in their haste, aimed to burn all the 
cotton in their store-houses. During the night following the capture, 
flames of the burning cotton and buildings lit the skies far and near on the 
neighboring islands. Yet, quantities of valuable cotton and other crops 
fell into the hands of our government. The negroes remaining on the 
lands rejoiced at our coming, and offered to us their services. Many who 
at first were forced awa} T by the rebels, soon escaped and crowded joyfully 
within our lines. Only a few of them believed the horrid stories told them 
by their masters, that the Yankees originated the war to obtain negroes to 
be worked like oxen and mules. It was true 

" Ole massa run away, 
De darkies stay, at home." 

One negro, a body servant of one of the lordly Popes, was sent back in 
the night, across Skulk Creek, with orders to burn several store-houses 
filled with cotton, that had been left unharmed in the retreat. The negro 
cunningly entered into his master's scheme, secured a boat, selected his 
trusty rowers and a few favorites of his kin as passengers, and took the 
precaution of carrying with him a white towel. Under the mantle of mid- 
night and the fog of the creek he reached Hilton Head and landed in a 
cluster of woods, undiscovered by our picket. Here he instructed his 
company to lie low and silent till daybreak, when, with his towel attached 
to a stick, he ventured out to our sentinel and surrendered himself and 
his associates to the service and protection of the Yankees. In this case, 
at least, darkness comprehended the light. Other similar cases occurred. 

The original Confederate flag consisted of a blue union, with a circle 
f seven stars (representing the seven States that first seceded) , and three 
bars, upper and lower red, and middle white. It was afterwards changed, 



1861.] 



THIRD R. I. H. ARTILLERY. 



53 



the blue union containing a white cross in which were the stars. Hence 
the flag was sometimes styled " the Stars and Bars." It was intended to 
add other stars as other States joined the Confederacy. It may be 
remembered that Leroy Pope Walker, the rebel Secretary of War, said, on 
learning of the fall of Sumter: "I will prophesy that the flag (Con- 
federate) that now flaunts the breeze here, will float over the dome of 
the Capitol at Washington before the 1st of May." In honor of this windy 
prophet Fort Walker took its name. Doubtless he had a different 
prophetic spasm when he heard that the "greasy mechanics" of the 
North had captured this stronghold of South Carolina. 

The Department of the South, assigned to the Tenth Army Corps, em- 
braced the coasts of South Carolina, Georgia and Florida, and so much 
of the main-land as might be recovered. This coast in general consists 
of a multitude of low, flat, rich islands, of all conceivable sizes and shapes, 
making a grand fringe or net-work between the ocean and the main-land. 
Amongst these islands and the marshes that separate them from each 
other and from the main-land, run numerous rivers, great and small, and 
innumerable narrow, deep, b^vous and creeks, into which the tides, rising 
and falling from seven to 
ten feet, carry the life and 
warmth of the sea. These 
are the famous Sea Islands, 
underlain by a deep , rich, veg- 
etable stratum, and blank- 
eted by the fine sands of 
the ocean's margin ; on an 
average about six feet above 
the ocean level, and presenting on their ocean-side numerous sand-hills 
or bluffs. 

Here grows in its glory the Sea Island cotton, with green seeds and 
long, silky fibre. Here rise in majesty the fat, southern pine, the slender 
cypress, the proud, pompion-shaped palmetto ; and here spreads abroad 
the stout, solid live-oak. Shrubs, vines, grasses, mosses, and flowers are 
in tropical abundance and luxuriance. Beauty and fragrance abound, 
from the lovely jessamine to the lofty magnolia. The forests teem with 
beasts and birds, and the waters nourish great varieties of the finny tribe 
and of mollusks. Between these islands and the elevated portions of the 
main-land lie the rice swamps. The whole is naturally as rich as a garden. 

While we were engaged in strengthening the captured posts around Port 
Royal harbor, the fleet was busy in running along the coast north and south, 
and probing the bayous and rivers. 

Charles W. Weeden (Company E), died in Pawtucket, R. I., Nov. 15, 
1861. Henry Carroll (Company I), died at Hilton Head, Nov. 30th. 

The Charleston Mercury, of Nov. 30th, contained the following language : 




FOI1T BEAU11EGABD. 



54 



SHOT AND SHELL. 



[December, 



' ' Patriotic planters on the seaboard are hourly applying the torch to their 
crops of cotton and rice." . . " Such a people can never be subjugated. 
Let the holy flames continue to ascend, and let the demons of hell, who 
come here on their diabolical errand, learn a lesson and tremble. Let the 
torch be applied wherever the invader pollutes our soil, and let him find, as 
is meet, that our people will welcome him only with devastation and ruin. 
Our people are in earnest, men, women and children — and their sacrifice 
will ascend as a sacred holocaust to God, crying aloud for vengeance against 
the fiends in human shape, who are disgracing humanity, trampling down 
civilization, and would blot out Christianity." 

Our command had the pleasure of receiving the accompanying cheering 
letter : — 

"State of Rhode Island, Executive Department, \ 
Providence, Dec. 1, 1861. f 
" To the Third Regiment Rhode Island Volunteers : — 

"The Commander-in-Chief, on his own behalf, and in behalf of the people of 
Rhode Island, congratulates Colonel Brown, his officers and men, of the Third . 
Regiment Rhode Island Volunteers, for the efficiency displayed by them in the 
operation of taking and occupying Port Royal, in South Carolina. 

" He thanks God, and the brave soldiers of this Regiment, that they are upon 
South Carolina soil, as it has been his fervent hope that Rhode Island might meet 
South Carolina face to face ; that the people who have exhibited the most energetic 
determination to defend the rights of freemen, government, and law, should meet 
those who have exhibited a like determination to destroy. 

" Go on, then, brave soldiers of the Third Rhode Island Regiment. The ac- 
complishment of one gallant act calls for others still more gallant. You have no 
inglorious part to perform. Hasten, then, for yourselves, your country, and 
your race. Let it be said of you, as you pass, 'There goes one of the brave 
army of Sherman.' Rhode Island entrusts her honor to you. You will not prove 
recreant. WM SPRAGUE." 

Passing from Port Ro}~al harbor up Beaufort River to the city of Beau- 
fort, some of the views were very attractive and impressive. The island of 
St. Helena on the right is rich in forest and field, and boasts lordly old 
homesteads with surrounding gardens. Mid wa}' between this and Beaufort, 
on the left, on a bold and beautiful angle of Port Royal Island, are the 
quaint remains of old Fort Plantation. Unlike the Martello Tower in form, 
it was a battery or low fort. Its outline is yet very distinct, but the tides 
and storms have encroached upon it and jostled out of place portions of the 
wall. Near this is an old, rich plantation residence, shaded by moss-draped 
live-oaks, specimens of the pride of India, magnolias, lines of orange trees, 
and ornamental bowers. In the rear cowered a cluster of low, dark, slave 
cabins. Back into the island stretched the fertile plantation. 

Southern plantation-houses to our northern eyes were by no means pre- 
possessing. Our reading, and our studies of the pencils of artists, had led 
us to expect something more tasteful and elegant. Reputed wealth and 
cavalier pride naturally promised culture and excellence. But we found 



1861.] 



THIRD R. I. H. ARTILLERY. 



55 



the slave-holders' mansions quite unlovely ; usually large, but coarse and 
unfinished, showing best from a distance ; for sanitary reasons, without 
cellars, and raised a few feet from the earth on stone or brick piers, and 
largely furnished with coarse verandas ; all revealing a lordly . ambition 
without a lordly cultivation. Even the abundant surrounding shade-trees 
lacked the superintendence of knowledge and taste. These mansions were, 
as a general thing, the castles of haughty indolence and aspiring inability. 
Their back -ground consisted of low, dark slave-barracks. Magnolias over- 
shadowed miseiy. 



CHAPTER IX. 



RECONNOITERINGr SERVICE. 
December, 1861. 

With wakeful eye survey the foe.. 

Though the rebels made no systematic resistance on the islands around 
Port Royal harbor, after the capture of their forts, they yet lurked in every 
place that afforded them facilities for harassing our front. Occasionally 
small raiding parties would dash within our lines in the night. Constant 
vigilance was the price of security. As soon as possible, in connection 
with the navy, we fitted and armed such transports as might run up the 
rivers and creeks to feel out the enemy's front. In these reconnoissances, 
with shot and shell, we probed every little cape, peninsula, and landing- 
place that might be of avail to the foe. 

Dec. 18. Captain Day (Company C), with twenty-five of his men, on 
the steamer Mayflower, that mounted a six-pounder, accompanied by 
Colonel Bell (Fourth New Hampshire Regiment), made areconnoissance up 
Broad River and Whale Branch to Coosaw River. At a narrow place in 
the river we were hotly fired- on by rebel infantry, but our muskets and 
cannon soon repulsed the assailants. Shortly after, we encountered, near 
Port Royal Ferry, a rebel battery of three field-pieces, one shot from 
which hit the boat. While the enemy fired seven shots we gave them 
ten, and an appropriate amount of metal that sent them suddenly to their 
plantation retreats. Above this point the steamer grounded, when we 
were again attacked by infantry, but without damage. On our return we 
were complimented from two pieces of light artiller}^ ; but one of our 
shells, bursting splendidly in the midst of the assailants, concluded the 
dispute by persuading them into a hurried retreat. In all these attacks 
we suffered no loss of life. This action was complimented b} T General 
Sherman, who mentioned it in a report that we shall hereafter quote. 

After this bold and plucky advance, that gave the Captain and his men 
very honorable position, Company C was furnished with four good field 
howitzers and necessary horses, that they might be ready for future expe- 
ditions. This step shortly led to the regular formation of the company as 
a light battery, in which rank it ever after served with honor and success. 



1861.] 



THIRD R. I. H. ARTILLERY. 



57 



Henceforward, through the war, services similar to this on gun-boats and 
armed transports, were performed by detachments of our regiment. Some- 
times these detachments would serve for months. This picketing and re- 
connoitering of the rivers, bays and creeks was a difficult and responsible 
service, though seldom attended with conspicuous and brilliant encounters 
with the foe. 

What we had been in reality since the 7th of September, we now became 
by action of the War Department, as shown by the subjoined paper : — 

"Head Quarters of the Army, Adjutant-General's Office, ) 
Washington, Dec. 19, 1861. > 

Special Orders, No. 333. 

3. The Third Regiment Rhode Island Volunteers is, by direction of the Sec- 
retary of War, increased to twelve companies, to serve as heavy artillery. 
By command of Major-General McClellan, 

L. THOMAS, 

Adjutant-GeneraV 

By this order we were also en- 
titled to two first lieutenants and 
two second lieutenants for each 
company, and a major for each of 
the three battalions, and to don the 
red designating our arm of the 
service. 

Necessarily, besides our proper 
garrison duty, we performed not a 
little fatigue work in the recon- 
struction and enlargement of the 
fortifications, and in erecting the 
new batteries called for at different 
points. Indeed, first and last, we 
performed no unimportant service 
in constructing and arming the en- 
trenchments for the permanent defense of the head-quarters of the De- 
partment. 

Meanwhile our New England eyes were busy with the new scenes in the 
strange region around us. The great, ridged fields, recently white with 
cotton as with a blanket of snow, but now full of dry stalks, where the Con- 
federate army had not trodden them down, in their desolation were a fair 
war picture. The mansions of the Popes, Draytons and Lawtons, were the 
bivouacks of confused and wondering blacks. Even the mocking-birds 
seemed to be filled with astonishment at the new order of things, and were 
trying to catch the language and songs of the Yankees. 

Dec. 20. The Federal Government, in lack of a sufficient number of 
ships of war to enforce the blockade that had been proclaimed relative 




stone fleet blockade. 



58 



SHOT AND SHELL. 



[December. 



to the rebel ports, adopted the project of temporarily obstructing the 
channels of some of these ports hj sinking in them the hulks of old vessels, 
loaded with stone. These worn-out ships were purchased in northern 
harbors and towed to their destinations. Under the direction of Fleet 
Captain Charles H. Davis, sixteen of these stone-freighted hulks were 
scuttled and sunk in the channels of Charleston harbor. These were 
called the " Stone Fleet." The project, however, proved unsuccessful, as 
the swift tides cut new channels in the vast beds of surrounding sand. 

'Dec. 24. Detachments from Companies A and E — forty men from 
each — under Captain Baile}' and Lieutenant Fry, accompanied by Lieu- 
tenant Wilson, United States Topographical Engineers, with three days' 
rations, left Seabrook in surf-boats for a reconnoissance in the vicinity of 
Savannah. In the night, passing north of Daufuskie Island and through 
Pull-And-Be-Damned Creek (so named on account of the swift tide), 
they pushed up to Pine Island, and finally landed within the enemy's 
lines. One boat and company reached, the next night, within five miles 
of Savannah and came upon the rebel gun-boat Samson (four guns and fifty 
men). Fired upon by rebel pickets, Lieutenant Wilson returned the 
address. After feeling out the rivers and creeks, visiting a few planta- 
tions, finding a little cotton, and mapping the path of future operations, 
the three clays' exploration satisfactorily terminated. However, a report 
had reached camp that our party had been cut off and Captain Baile}' had 
been killed. The whole affair had the credit of being a bold one. 

Jan. 1, 1862. As the rebel forces on our front were combining for 
raids as well as resistance, and occasionally dashed from the main-land by 
night, upon the islands, and in a particular manner seemed anxious to 
recover Port Royal Island — the gem of their coast — we fitted a strong, 
mixed expedition — nav}* and army — to make the circuit of Port Royal 
Island and push the foe farther back upon the main. Some of our men 
acted on the" armed transports, and a livery dispute of arms occurred with 
the enemy at Port Royal Ferry. At this point was at once established 
a strong picket station, with a heavy reserve. The Federal loss was one 
killed, ten wounded, and two missing. 

Charles H. Monroe (Company E) , died of heart disease, at Hilton Head, 
Dec. 31, 1861. 



CHAPTER X. 



GUNS ON OTTER AND ST. HELENA ISLANDS. 
December, 1861 — May, 1SG2. 

Unsleeping are our enemies. 

Captain Strahan, with his command (Company I), was sent up the 
-coast to Otter Island to assist in completing Fort Drayton, and in hold- 
ing that post. He left Hilton Head in December, 1861, and remained on 
Otter Island till May, 1862. This small, low, sandy, but beautiful island, 
facing the ocean, is the extremity of land lying between South Eclisto 
River on the north and St. Helena Sound on the south. The service of 
Company I was circumscribed and monotonous, though affording an ex- 
cellent opportunity for heavy artillery drill. 

Fort Drayton was a small but strong earthwork, captured from the 
rebels, and refitted and enlarged, and named in honor of the loyal 
Carolinian, Capt. Percival Drayton, who led the naval forces in taking 
possession of that part of the coast. It was a triangular work, with two 
faces towards the sea, measuring two hundred and fifty feet each, with 
bastions, and a curtain on the land side, the whole surrounded by a ditch. 
When captured, the magazine had been blown up, and everything had 
been destroyed or carried away except a bursted eighty-pounder rifle gun 
and a quantity of timber and palmetto logs. The rebel batteries or small 
forts on Eclisto Island and the banks of the rivers emptying into St. 
Helena Sound readily succumbed to the guns of our nav} r , supported by 
detachments of infantry. And Otter island for a time became a famous 
rendezvous for the escaping slaves. It was occupied hy our troops, to 
guard, in connection with the navy, the South Edisto River and St. 
Helena Sound. Its importance as a strategic point will be understood by 
remembering that it was the key to the inland water communication be- 
tween Charleston and Savannah, and was an effectual protection against 
a flank attack of the enemy on our right. Commanding St. Helena Sound 
it held for us a second excellent harbor. Between St. Helena Sound and 
Port Royal were Trenchard's and Pritchard's Inlets, but they were too 
shallow to afford plaj^ for our heavy naval keels. 

Sergt. Abel Waite (Company H), thus writes: "About Dec. 10th, 



60 



SHOT AND SHELL. 



[December, 



Company I was embarked from Hilton Head on the transport Parkersburg, 
under orders from General Sherman to proceed with an expedition to Otter 
Island and report to Col. Thomas Welsh, commanding the Forty-fifth Penn- 
sylvania Volunteers. I also had orders from the commanding general to 
go on the same transport and report to Colonel Welsh as Acting Ordnance 
Sergeant of the Post. When we arrived there we found the Forty-fifth Penn- 
sylvania on the island, and in the channels a gun-boat and the sloop-of-war 
Dale, commanded by Captain Truxton, lying where their guns could sweep 
the island. . . . Here we found gulls' eggs in great quantities, and 
green crabs in the creeks. The island was composed of marsh with a very 
little upland, where a few stunted trees were trying to show what a small 
difference there was between life and death. 

" The enemy were in possession of Fenwick Island and the islands 
above. One of these was separated from us b} r a small, narrow, unford- 
able stream, across which one could throw a stone. After landing guns, 
ammunition, and stores, Company I assisted the Forty-fifth Pennsylvania 
Volunteers and the Engineers in reconstructing and arming the fort. It 
had a magazine in the centre and mounted five guns — two thirty-two and 
two twenty-four pounders, of the smooth-bore pattern, rifled for the James' 
projectile, and one eight-inch columbiad. It required in throwing up and 
turfing the parapet and magazine, digging the trenches, cutting, hauling, 
sharpening and driving the pine logs for the stockade, a great amount of 
hard work, of which Company I had their full share. All the logs were cut 
and towed over from the other islands. We had also much to do in scout- 
ing and foraging. 

" Once it was rumored that rebel rams were about to attack us. Com- 
pany I, being the only artillerists, were formed in detachments, each man 
assigned his proper place, every gun loaded, and shot and shell made 
read}'. But the alarm was a false one. 

"The sloop-of-war Dale almost daily sent her launch, with a howitzer 
in the bow, up about the islands to shell the 'rebs' whenever our men could 
get near enough ; and they sometimes had quite a little brush ; but the 
'rebs' would always retire as the boat advanced, and when the launch came 
back they would follow. Sometimes the gun-boat would go up cruising ; 
and once this party stumbled into quite a hornet's nest, in the shape of a 
rebel sand-battery, that gave them a nice little fight for a short time. But 
that was the last of that battery. 

' ' In many of those skirmishes the naval forces were accompanied by the 
troops to act in concert with them. At other times the land forces would 
take an independent scout ; and Company I, on such occasions, would have 
their due amount of the programme to fill." 

Captain Strahanwas supported by Lieutenant Lanahan of his company, 
and Lieutenant Barney (Company A) , detached for this service. 

Company H that had been thrown across the harbor with Company D, 



i 



1861.] 



THIRD R. I. H. ARTILLERY. 



61 



to hold the islands around Fort Beauregard, was sent out in detachments, 
early in January, to different points. Captain Rogers held a part with his 
head-quarters at Coffin's Point, on the north end of St. Helena Island, oppo- 
site Otter Island. Lieutenant Bray ton had a portion of the company at 
Brickyard Point, on Lady's Island. Squads under Sergeants Burroughs and 
Hiepe were sent across St. Helena Island to St. Helena village — quite a 
hamlet of near fifty houses of all sorts — and quite a summer resort for 
southern gentility. As the rebels had stampeded, everything was in the 
hands of the negroes, who received our men with delight, and furnished 
them with a good supper. Says Sergeant Burroughs, "We were the first 
Yankee troops they had seen. We found the men clothed in suits made 
from Brussells and tapestry carpets, and from cloth cut from the covering 
of old massa's furniture. They were helping themselves to eveiy thing, even 
tearing down their old masters' residences to build up their own huts." 
Sergeant Hiepe was left with a squad in charge of this village. 

Sergeant Burroughs, with ten men and a boat's crew of negroes, passed 
over to Coosaw Island, in the Coosaw River, and was joyfully welcomed 
by the " contrabands." Here he found the abandoned plantation of 
General Barnwell, with a quantity of cotton that the flying rebels had 
failed to burn. The Sergeant immediately detailed the negroes on the 
fatigue service of baling this " King" of South Carolina, while he took up 
his military head-quarters in the Barnwell mansion. This was a war- 
picture, and we wish a photographer had been present to seize it. The 
Sergeant said he had a plenty of fresh meat, sweet-potatoes, Johnm^-cakes, 
and milk. So General Barnwell's secession tables were turned. 

The Sergeant was a true, administrative genius, and equal to his times. 
We see him sitting up to his live-oak fire in the Barnwell castle, in the 
heart of South Carolina, with his men rubbing up their rifles, and his 
detail of happy negroes strapping up " King Cotton " for a Yankee market. 
Meanwhile he counted the probabilities of his situation. Apprehensive that 
the exasperated chivalry might venture to attack him, having only ten men 
in full mail, he concluded to enlist a number of the negroes, who had old 
shot-guns, used in bringing down game for Massa Barnwell. The 
''contrabands" were ready, and he supplied them with ammunition. So 
they gladly stood guard and gloried in their new dignity. These, we are 
sure, were the first colored troops in the Department of the South. In 
tMs the Sergeant was in advance of General Hunter. 

Apropos to the Sergeant's Johnny-cakes ; the corn was ground by the 
negro women, in little hand-mills, the only sort used on the Sea Islands, 
after the pattern of the ancient (old Hebrew) mills — " two shall be grind- 
ing at a mill," — the two mill-stones, about the size of No. 1 Northern 
cheeses, mounted on a bench or block of live-oak, the upper stone revolved 
by a stick inserted in a hole near its margin. One person attended to the 
revolving of the stone, while the other fed in the grain ; and both usually 
sung some easy and cheering refrain. Perhaps it would be this : — 



62 



SHOT AND SHELL. 



[J anuary 



" I'm gwine to jine de mornin' band, 
Hail ! hail ! I'm on my journey home ; 
Ef you get dare before I do, 
I'm on my journey home ; 
I'm on my journey home ; 
Look out for me ; I'm comin', too, 
I'm on my journey home ; 
I'm on my journey home ; 
Hail ! hail ! I'm on my journey home." 

Not unfrequently strange and painful scenes occurred along the coast. 
Thus, W. T. Truxton, Lieutenant-Commanding United States ship Dale^ 
St. Helena Sound, S. C, June 13, 1862, writes : " There was a large fire 
this morning on Hutchinson Island. I immediately started .... 
a canoe containing three negroes was met, who stated that the rebels three 
hundred strong were at Mrs. Marclis' plantation, killing all the negroes. 
On arriving at Mrs. Mardis' the scene was most painful. Her dwelling 
and chapel in ruins, and the air heav} r with smoke, while at the landing 
were assembled one hundred souls, mostly women and children in the ut- 
most distress. . . .. The rebels, during the night, landed on the island 
from Fort Chapman ; ... at early dawn they fired a volley through 
the house, and as the alarmed people sprang nearly naked from their beds 
and rushed forth frantic with fear, the}' were shot, arrested, or knocked 
down." A number were riddled with bullets. 

Can men read fates ? Why strikes the hand of war so heav} T on this 
coast? Why fall the blows so emphatically in the line of slave-redemp- 
tion on this fair portion of the southern shore ? Look within the forest- 
shaded inlets and creeks, between Port Ro3 T al harbor and St. Helena 
Sound, among the yet wild and deer-trod Hunting Island, and you may see 
the site of a quite recent barracoon where slavers landed their dark and la- 
menting cargoes to supply the lords of the Sea Islands with hands for rais- 
ing rice and cotton. On St. Helena we found one black who remembered 
her African home, and her kidnapping, and her vo3^age to South Carolina. 
Could the ba} T ous and creeks of this coast speak, sad and thrilling would be 
their story. Heaven now bade that barbaric chapter close ; and Freedom's 
shot and shell were the chosen agents in the work. 

To spectators, the drill of heavj^ artillery, saving the fire of the pieces 
which is rarely indulged in drill, is less exciting than that of cavalry or 
infantry ; but it is far more laborious and complicated in its particulars, as 
it involves not only the movement of heav} T pieces and the delicate manage- 
ment of magazines, but also many intricate scientific questions of range, 
forces of nature, distance, and elevation. Moreover, heavy artillerists are 
also expected to be expert in the use of muskets, as light artillery are re- 
quired to be proficient with pistols and sabres as well as with their guns— 
In short, heavy artillerists are supposed to be skilled in the use of cannon 
of all calibres, under all varying circumstances, and at the same time to be 
ready as infantiTmen and also in some measure as engineers. The drill of 
our regiment, therefore, called for much labor and intelligence of officers 
and men. 



CHAPTER XI. 



HILTON HEAD ENTRENCHMENTS. 
December, 1861 — March, 1862. 

The right has bulwarks large and strong. 

In all the operations of the Department of the South, Commodore Dii- 
pont and General Sherman united their forces, and their co-operation was 
always cordial and harmonious. As Port Royal was the naval rendezvous, 
and Hilton Head was selected as the base for the army and the depot of 
supplies for the Department, it became necessary to have this base thor- 
oughly protected. Hence, immediately upon its capture, measures were 
taken to fortify the post against all possible attacks, for the Confederates 
were exasperated on account of our foothold on the soil of South Carolina. 

The line of entrenchments projected and built at Hilton Head on the 
margin of Port Royal harbor measured a mile and three-quarters in length, 
and embraced an area of perhaps six hundred acres. The palisades and 
embankments, beginning at the ocean beach on the east, extended across 
marshes and the upland to a creek on the west near to what was finally 
known as Mitchellville — a settlement of freedmen. Thus, the fortified 
post had the harbor with forts and batteries on the north, the ocean on the 
east, the palisades and earthworks with batteries on the south, and the 
creek with palisades and batteries on the west. The whole work was im- 
mense, elaborate, scientific, expensive, and strong. Within were the head- 
quarters of the Department of the South and the depots of ordnance and 
supplies for the arnry. A long, heavy pier soon connected the beach with 
the channel of the harbor. The sally-ports of the entrenchments were 
on the south and west, well guarded by trenches and guns. 

Jan. 10. Alfred S. Ketchum (Company K), died at Hilton Head. As 
we make record of the deaths of our comrades we could wish that we had 
the facts of their lives and space in our volume for brief biographical 
sketches. The3 T will ever live in our memory, and their names are found 
on our roll of honor as they also are upon our State monument, and in our 
State's histor3 T . 

Jan. 17. Edwin R. M. Horton (Company A), died at Hilton Head* 



64 



SHOT AND SHELL. 



[March, 



Jan. 18th, John Bullock (Company D) , died at the same post. In the hos- 
pitals onr sick men received kind attentions and skillful treatment, and the 
dead were tenderly buried with military honors in the Pine Grove Cemetery, 
south of the entrenchments. None of us may forget the dirges, the funeral 
trains with reversed arms, and the parting volleys above the graves. 

The narrow but deep, crooked creek on the west of Hilton Head, con- 
necting Port Royal harbor with Calibogue Sound and the Savannah Rivei 
has been variously called Scull, Skull, and Skulk Creek. Its present 
name, Scull, is an euphonism of its old name, Skulk ; the old name derived 
from the notorious fact that formerly slavers, with their African cargoes, 
dodged into Port Royal harbor and the mouth of the Savannah, and then 
skulked into this narrow, shaded channel, where they could land their 
living chattels without detection. And man}' of the negroes that we found 
in this region and in the vicinity of Savannah, told us that their parents 
came from "the negro country." We even found in the vicinity of 
Savannah some specimens of recently imported cargoes. The barbarous 
trade had few to expose or condemn it on this coast. And why should 
the southerners have condemned a " divine institution ? " 

Our cut will recall one of 
the aristocratic mansions 
commanding a fine view of 
island and creek. 

Every soldier well re- 
members when he first 
heard the beat of "the 
long roll." This occurred 
to us not long after we had 
taken possession of Hilton Head, and before we had secured ourselves by 
the completed entrenchments. Our security against surprise depended upon 
the fidelity of our pickets, and the promptness of all the troops to obey 
an instant call. It was a dark, drizzly, winter night, peculiarly uncomfort- 
able, notwithstanding our uniforms. Suddenly there broke from the head- 
quarters of the post, and instantly sounded through all the camps, the start- 
ling, thrilling ' ' long-roll " — the summon to arms in a moment. The sharp, 
rapid, rising, reiterated roll of the drums and the shrill, piercing notes of 
fife and bugle roused eveiy nerve and limb. At once we were in rank and 
line, waiting orders for action. No action came ; it was only an alarm. 
The unpleasant night was wakefulry spent. 

Feb. 22. Our Surgeon, Fenner H. Peckham, m. d., an able and faith- 
ful physician, who had served the Second Regiment in Virginia before 
joining our command, now, by reason of his health and the peculiarities of 
the climate, resigned his commission, greatly to our regret. 

Mar. 23. Lieutenant-Colonel Blanding, our first real commander, 
having accepted in December, 1861, a Major's commission with us, and 
having opened a recruiting-office to raise our command to its maximmn of 




pope's house. 



1862.] 



THIRD R. I. H. ARTILLERY. 



65 



heavy artillery — 1,800 men — now rejoined us at Hilton Head with 225 
recruits, and was heartily welcomed by officers and men. On the outward 
passage he and his men suffered greatly from a severe gale off Hatteras. 
On account of his qualifications, the Major at once filled important places 
and performed valuable services. The recruits he brought completed 
Companies L and M. These, with other recruits received, raised the 
number of each compan} T from 110 to 140. 

Lieutenant-Colonel Bucklin still had his head-quarters with our com- 
panies at Bay Point. 

When Major Blanding began to recruit for us, Colonel Brown wrote : 
The Governor has advised me of your appointment and acceptance, and 
I feel now like a strong man armed ; huriy out here, for I need you." 
Major Metcalf, with his characteristic magnanimity, and, in proof of his 
firm friendship, offered to resign his place, that Major Blanding might 
rank him ; but such changes were not deemed necessary. These little 
incidents revealed the fraternal spirit ruling among our superior officers, 
and will be pleasantly remembered. Major Blanding sent us one squad of 
recruits by a sailing-vessel before coming on himself with the 225. 

Certainly the early experiences of Companies L and M were somewhat 
trying to men who had just left the easy walks of secure homes. 

Their voyage on the Oriental to Hilton Head was very stormy and 
perilous. The captain of the vessel was ill ; the crew was disorderly from 
whiskey ; no fire could be used in cooking on account of the wind and 
sea, and the steamer once took fire. When off Charleston they were 
mistaken for a blockade-runner and fired upon. 

After reaching Hilton Head, on being told that they were to take 
muskets and drill as infantry, in order to become full-fledged artillerists, 
the}^ were exasperated and threatened insubordination. Drawn into line for 
inspection, General Sherman himself addressed them, complimenting them 
on their fine appearance, sympathizing with them in their disappointment, 
hoping they might yet be mounted as light batteries, but assuring them that 
mutiny would be summarily dealt with. This calmed the excitement. We 
were not offended that the men had grit. 

March 25. Benjamin Chase (Company D) , died of heart disease", at Bay 
Point. 

General Viele, when in command of the entrenchments at Hilton 
Head, having issued very strict orders in reference to countersigns and 
passes, was among the first caught in neglecting them. He allowed him- 
self to remain outside of the sentinels till after taps without the countersign 
or a night pass. He was at his wits' end. His orders could not be re- 
called, and must not be violated. No exceptions might be made in favor 
of officers, not even for the commandant of the post. Finally an idea 
dawned on him. Searching till he found a piece of board, he pencilled on 
it a night pass for himself over his own signature. As the sentinel recog- 
nized him, he accepted the genuineness of the pass and admitted the bearer. 
5 



CHAPTER XII 



SIEGE BATTERIES ON TYBEE ISLAND, G- A.- 
January — April, 1862. 



The right sees triumph won by toil 

Shortly after the capture of Port 
Royal harbor and its surrounding islands, 
the gun-boats Flag, Augusta, Pocahontas, 
and Seneca made a demonstration upon 
the mouth of the Savannah River to more 
firmty close that avenue of blockade- 
running. On approaching Tybee Island, 
which guards the river mouth on the south, 
they met with only momentary opposition 
from a rebel force in the Martello Tower, 
and surrounding earthworks on the point. 
A few well-directed eleven-inch solid shot, 
one. of which struck the Tower, put the 
"chivalry" to flight, who left the front 
and took refuge in Fort Pulaski, the 

MARTELLO TOWER. , _ , , ✓ „ _ 

heavy work that effectually held the chan- 
nels of the river about its mouth. The lofty and costly light-house near 
the tower was a victim to rebel flames, that consumed all its interior 
and irreparably injured its walls. By the way, the Martello Tower is a 
real curiosity, built, they say, by the Spaniards, near 1530, hence a relic of 
the earliest colonial times. It is cylinderical in form, forty feet in diame- 
ter, and about forty feet in height, of solid mass — mortar and shells. ' The 
walls are ten feet thick, pierced by small openings in the two lower- 
stories, and twelve loop-holes in the third-story, and has a slightly retreat- 
ing parapet. The top affords a splendid military picket-post and look- 
out ; but the structure has no military strength against modern instruments 
of warfare. 

Jan. 21. An expedition was fitted out at Hilton Head to operate 
against Fort Pulaski by using Tybee Island as a final base for siege-work, 




1862.] 



THIRD R. I. H. ARTILLERY. 



6T 



and Daufuskie Island as a base from which to push forward men and 
means to Jones, Bird, and Long Islands, for cutting off reinforcements and 
supplies from Pulaski. 

Feb. 21. The first vessel with ordnance and ordnance stores for the 
siege arrived in Tybee Roads. The forces chosen to prepare for and con- 
duct the siege were the Seventh Connecticut, the Forty-sixth New York, 
Colonel Serrell's Engineers, and Companies F and H (and afterwards 
Company B) , of our command ; we, of course, being the special artillerists. 
Immediately the work of landing and hauling ordnance, erecting earth- 
works, building magazines, constructing splinter-proofs, making roads 
over marshes, completing the batteries, and mounting the heavy guns was 
commenced, and continued clay and night till the 9th of April. Remember, 
everything was landed by boats and rafts through the surf on the ocean- 
side of Tybee and then moved across the island near to Goat Point, two 
and a half miles from the place of landing. Much of this was night- work, 
and very fatiguing to the men. The road to Goat Point was built largely 
over a swamp — deemed impassable by the rebels-— by piling brush, pine 
logs, and poles on the mud, and covering all with sand, on which were laid 
planks for the wheels of the sling-carts. No beasts could be used ; all 
was done by human hands. The work was performed secretly under 
cover of the forests, and the batteries near Goat Point and along the 
north side of the island were so hidden by the chaparral and vines, that 
the garrison in Fort Pulaski did not suspect our real work. 

Says General Gillmore, u No one except an eye-witness, can form any 
but a faint conception of the Herculean labor by which mortars of eight 
and one-half tons weight, and columbiads but a trifle lighter, were moved 
in the dead of night, over a narrow causeway, bordered by swamps on either 
side, and liable at any moment to be overturned and buried in the mud be- 
yond reach. The stratum of mud is about twelve feet deep ; and on sev- 
eral occasions the heaviest pieces, particularly the mortars, became de- 
tached from the sling-carts, and were with great difficulty, by the use of 
planks and skids, kept from sinking to the bottom. Two hundred and fifty 
men were barely sufficient to move a single piece on sling-carts. The men 
were not allowed to speak above a whisper, and were guided by the notes 
of a whistle." Herein was a development of Yankee ingenuity, tact, hardi- 
hood, and persistency. 

The landing of our troops on Tybee Island greatly excited the Georgians. 
In a printed address sent out to the people of the State, signed by 
Howell Cobb, Robert Toombs, Thomas R. R. Cobb and M. J. Crawford, we 
find the following language : ' ' The foot of the oppressor is on the soil of 
Georgia. He comes with lust in his eye, poverty in his purse, and hell in 
his heart. He comes a robber and a murderer. How shall you meet him? 
With the sword at the threshold ! With death for him and for yourself ! 
But more than this ; let every woman have a torch, every child afire-brand ; 



68 



SHOT AND SHELL. 



[February. 



let the loved homes of youth be made ashes, and the fields of our heritage 
be made desolate." In one part of the address the Federals are spoken of 
as " a nation already sunk below the contempt of the civilized world." 

It may be confessed that as we toiled through the swamps of Tybee, 
and arranged our line of siege batteries in the sand-banks and among the 
tangled bushes, the idea of our success would at moments tremble in the 
balance. There stood the lofty, solid, frowning fort, huge black guns 
protruding defiantly from the casemates of three of its sides, and monster 
barbette pieces bristling on its parapets. And, in case of our making a 
breach that might prepare the way for an assault, our advance must then 
be over the south channel of the river, across the marshes of Cockspur, 
over the embankment, by the water batteries, and through the wet ditch of 
the fortress. Even to Yankee hopefulness and enthusiasm this looked like 
a difficult task. But the songs of the birds in the forests of the island 
cheered our spirits. 

The following were the batteries on Tybee Island, their armaments, 
and distances from Pulaski : — 

. 3,400 yds. 
. 3,200 " 
. 3,100 " 
. 3,045 " 
. 2,750 " 
. 2,650 " 
. 2,400 " 

. 1,740 " 

. 1,670 " 

. 1,650 " 
. 1,650 " 
There was also a depot powder- 



10. 
11. 



Stanton, 3 13-inch mortars 
Grant, 3 " " 

Lyon, 3 10-inch columbiads 

Lincoln, 3 8-inch " 
Burnside, 1 13-inch mortar 
Sherman, 3 " " mortars 
Halleck, 2 " " 

3 10-inch 
1 8-inch 

5 30-pounder Parrott's 
| 1 48 " James' 

(2 84 
| 2 64 

4 10-inch siege mortars 



columbiads 



Scott, 

Sigel, 

McClellan, 
Totten, 

Each battery had a service magazine. 



magazine of 3,600 barrels near the Martello Tower, the landing-place for all 
supplies. 



Number of guns bearing on the fort 
" " mortars " " " 



Total pieces . . . . . . . .36 

If our scheme of operations was at last suspected by the rebels, they 
deemed it hair-brained and impracticable. How could siege batteries ever 
be built on Goat Point ? How could siege guns be transported over the 
bottomless mud of Tybee marshes? And even if guns should there be 
brought into position, how could they break the heavy walls of Pulaski, 
more than a mile away, especially while Pulaski's heavy barbette pieces 
had a fair, plunging fire on the assailants? In fact, the best artillery 
practice of the world up to this time, justified the conclusion that our 
scheme was chimerical ; and hence Colonel Olmstead felt perfectly secure 
in his fortress. But here was to be written a new chapter of artillery 
tactics and achievements, as our subsequent operations will show. 



CHAPTER XIII. 



GUNS ON JONES, BIRD, AND LONG ISLANDS. 



January — April, 1862. 

Truth makes the earth beneath its firm. 

While the plans and operations on Tybee Island for reducing Fort Pu- 
laski were progressing as rapidly as possible, it became necessary to hasten 
the completion of the batteries proposed by General Gillmore up the Sa- 
vannah River, to isolate the fort from the rebel front and assist in beleag- 
uering it. This work was particularly disagreeable and laborious, but 
absolutely necessary to the plan of reducing the fort and closing the Savan- 
nah River. Companies E and G, and a detachment of Company A of our 
regiment were chosen to handle and operate the heavy guns, after assisting 
in the erection of the proposed batteries. 

Wall's Cut, a narrow, artificial channel between New and Wright 
Rivers — the inland passage between Savannah and Port Ro} T al harbor — 
had been obstructed by the rebels with heavy piles and the hulk of a large 
schooner. These obstructions were removed by our engineers, under 
Major Beard (Forty-eighth New York) , with his men and a detachment of 
sixteen men of our regiment (Company G), under Sergt. J. B. Hudson. 
The} 7 sawed off the piles close to the bottom of the channel — by a pecul- 
iarly operating Ya*nkee saw — and swung the hulk to one side of the 
stream. Commencing their labor on the 10th of January, by prosecuting 
it d&y and night, it was completed on the 14th, giving passage to our gun- 
boats. In the meantime our nav}' and the rebel gun-boats had a sharp, 
short fight in the Savannah, in our view. 

Jan. 28. A reconnoissance — navy and army — in boats and armed 
keels, was made through New River, Wall's Cut, Wright and Mud Rivers, 
up to the Savannah ; and it was concluded to locate batteries on Jones 
and Bird Islands — Jones on the north and Bird on the south side of the 
Savannah's main channel. These islands — long and narrow — are vast, 
mud marshes, clothed with tall grasses and reeds, the mud being about 
fifteen feet deep. For Jones Island, the battery was located on Venus 



70 



SHOT AND SHELL. 



[February, 



Point, about 1,300 yards from Mud River, to which it became necessa^ 
to make a causewa}^ of poles, sand, and plank. This was the first point to 
be secured ; then the advance was to be made to Bird Island. 

Feb. 1, 2, 3, 4. These days were spent by fatigue parties in cutting- 
poles and saplings, on Daufuskie Island, for the contemplated work on 
Jones Island. The}' cut 10,000 poles, from five to six inches in diameter 
and nine feet long, and transported them on their shoulders to the boats. 
Hannibal crossed the Alps, but we imagine he would have stuck at 
Savannah mud. 

Feb. 5,6. Fatigue parties were still toiling, cutting poles and filling 
sand-bags on Daufuskie, and making wheelbarrow tracks across Jones 
Island. Little knew the rebels of what we were doing. 

Feb. 7, 8. We commenced the floor and sides of the battery on Yenus 
Point, and named it Battery Vulcan, as in fact it seemed more mythological 
than real. Had Vulcan been with us, he would have desired something 
more firm than this island for his anvil. 

Major Bailey (then Captain) tells with a good relish of the negroes at 
their oars, assisting in rowing a boat through Pull-And-Be-Damned Creek, 
keeping time for their oars with their rude melodies. On one occasion, 
pulling against the strong ebb-ticte that had just set, and extremely 
anxious to reach the landing on Jones Island, they bent themselves to 
their, utmost and raised a favorite song, the refrain of which was 

" We're boun' to go, 
We're boun' to g-o, 
We're boun' to go, 
We're boun' to go-'" 

meanwhile the boat had grounded fast on the mudd} T bottom. The stuck 
boat and the lusty song of the sweating oarsmen, were quite too much for 
the Captain's gravity. He often refers to this "fast in the mud" and 
" boun' to go." 

Feb. 8. Daniel Golden (Company G-), was killed by lightning, on 
Daufuskie Island. 

Says Lieut. Horace Porter (of Ordnance, United States Army) : 
" The boats lay at anchor in New River until February 10th, guarded day 
and night by two companies of the Third Rhode Island Volunteer Artillery, 
Captains Gould and Baile}- , whose skill and energy alone saved the flats 
during the long time they were exposed to rough waters, winds, and tides." 
He might have added a detachment of Compan} 7 A. 

Men, materials, and guns were advanced through New River, Wall's 
Cut, Wright River, and Mud River, and landed on the north side of Jones 
Island, opposite Venus Point. 

Feb. 10. The heavy flats, loaded with guns and materials for the 
causeway and battery, were towed by row-boats through Wall's Cut up 
Mud River, to the chosen landing on the north margin of Jones Island. 



1862.] , 



THIRD R. I. H. ARTILLERY. 



71 



Now commenced the full work of the path across the island, and the con- 
struction of the battery ; and it was work, indeed. Fatigue parties found 
sore fatigue. The guns were moved a few feet at a time, taking up the 
planks in the rear and moving them forward. A fearfully muddy task it 
was ; men miring to their waists ; the plank sinking into the ooze and 
becoming slippery ; the guns sometimes sliding from the planks into the 
soft marsh ; all wheels settling to their axles ; the labor reaching through 
day and night. The joke of ''mud-sills" was here not so much out of 
place ; but we were bound to succeed. 

Feb. 11. Some of the men, by order, cased their feet in sand-bags up 
to their knees, giving them a very comical look, though the floundering in 
the mud was far from comical exercise. At last, laying the planks end to 
end, and changing them forward, we brought six guns to the battery and 
mounted them. 

Feb. 13. We were prepared just in time to give nine shots to the 
rebel steamer Ida as she passed down to Fort Pulaski. 

Feb. 14. To open the -way for the Ida to return, four rebel gun-boats 
— the relics of Tatnall's fleet — came down to within about a mile and 
opened a livery fire. The " mud-sills" were more strongly bedded than 
the enemy supposed. We fired about thirty shots, striking and crippling- 
one of our assailants. Finding our pepper too pungent for their taste, the 
rebels withdrew. Some of our gun-boats came to our support in the fight. 
The action was a sharp one. 

Great was the astonishment and excitement in Savannah on learning 
that the Yankees were entrenched within sight of the city, and had cut off 
supplies from Pulaski. Our brave workers on Tybee, on hearing the roar 
of our guns and observing the fight of the rebel gun-boats — the boasted 
force of Tatnall — tossed up their caps behind their batteries, and, as soon 
as possible, sent us their congratulations. Indeed, as a matter of engineer- 
ing and of gunnery, our work up the Savannah deserves a handsome 
record. 

General Sherman's Adjutant-General sent the following letter to 
General Viele, and ordered a copy sent to Colonel Brown : — 

" General: — 

The Commanding-General directs me to acknowledge the receipt of your highly 
satisfactory report of yesterday's date, and to request that you will thank the 
Chief of Artillery, and the officers and men of the Third Khode Island Artillery, for 
the admirable conduct displayed during the recent engagement with the rebel 
gun-boats on the Savannah River, having every confidence they will always dis- 
tinguish themselves; and at the same time express his conviction that when op- 
portunity offers, every other Company of the Regiment will emulate the conduct 
of Companies E and G, and the detachment of A, on the occasion alluded to. 

Yery respectfully, etc., 

L. H. PELOUZE, 

Captain Fifteenth Infantry, Acting Assistant Adfjutant-GeneraW 



72 



SHOT AND SHELL. 



[February, 



This was in accordance with the report of General Viele, made from 
his head-quarters on Daufuskie Island : — 

" Head-quartees United States Forces, ) 
Savannah Rivee, February 15, 1862. ) 

Sir: I have the honor to report that the batteries on Venus Point were at- 
tacked at three o'clock, p. m., yesterday, by four rebel gun-boats, with a view of 
effecting a passage from Fort Pulaski for the rebel steamer then at that place. 

After an engagement of one hour, the rebels were driven off, the flag-boat 
being disabled and taken in tow, and the steamer that attempted the passage of 
the river returned to Fort Pulaski. 

The guns were manned by the Third Rhode Island detachment, under Captain 
Gould, and effectively worked. There was no loss on our side. 

Your obedient servant, 

ROBERT T. VIELE, 

Brigadier-General. 

To Capt. L. H. Pelouze, Acting Assistant Adjutant-General." 

The armament of Battery Vulcan (Jones Island) , consisted of one ten- 
inch Columbiad, two twenty-four pounder howitzers, two thirty-pounder 
Parrots, and two twenty-pounder Parrots. 

On first landing on the island we inquired of a "contraband," 44 How 
much water is there on these islands at the springtides?" He replied, 
44 "Wal, massa, not more'n fo' or five foot ; " which was very encouraging. 
The negro's figures proved to be a little extravagant. 

As the island was submerged by the spring- tides, the battery and the 
camp were surrounded by a protecting embankment, making our position a 
miniature Holland. 

Feb. 20. Battery Hamilton, on Bird Island, was completed and 
furnished with one eight-inch siege howitzer, a thirty -pounder Parrott, a 
twenty -pounder Parrott, and three twelve-pounder James guns, under 
command of Capt. J. E. Bailey. Much of this work was done by tow- 
boats through Mud River and the Savannah. The forces engaged on 
these works up the river to isolate Fort Pulaski were the Forty-eighth New 
York Volunteers, two companies of the New York Engineers, and two 
companies from our regiment. The guarding and the handling of the guns 
was the special work of our men. We also had the assistance of a portion 
of the Seventh Connecticut in the whole work. The experience of all 
these commands in this novel and exhausting work, by day and by night, 
in the vast realm of Savannah mud, might make a lengthy and curious 
chapter. Here our boys learned to eat alligator- steak ; but the}- refused 
to cook the snakes they found. 

While on Bird Island completing the battery and mounting the guns, 
fortunately Lieutenant Turner discovered something coming down the 
river, borne by the stream. Immediately ordering a boat and crew, he 
pushed up the river to reconnoitre the advancing object, when he found., to 
his great satisfaction, that it consisted of detachments of a huge raft of 



1862.] 



THIRD R. I. H. ARTILLERY. 



73 



large, yellow, pine timber, some of the logs being sixteen or eighteen 
inches square and about thirty or forty feet in length. These had broken 
from their moorings up the river, perhaps at Savannah, and were still 
connected in parts by ropes and chains. Details from Jones Island and 
from the steamer Western World assisted in towing these rafts to the 
islands, where our men were happy to use the fat wood in feeding camp- 
fires and meeting other military necessities. Altogether the timber was a 
prize. 

Sergt. (afterwards Lieut.) C. H. Williams (Company A), reported a 
log-like object in the Savannah, and suggested an examination of its 
nature. When reached by a squad in a boat, it proved to be a veteran alli- 
gator. A few bullets in his vulnerable points from Captain Bailey's rifle 
soon turned the old settler on his sides and compelled his surrender. He 
measured above fourteen feet in length. Age exempted him from the frying- 
pan ; the boj's preferring "game" that measured about five or six feet. 
During the firing of our cannon on the islands these proprietors of the world 
of mud were greatly disturbed and revealed their hiding-places. 

During our operations here we had to be on our guard against torpe- 
does, for our gun-boats found a number of these infernal machines located 
at the mouth of Wright River. This was the first use of torpedoes in the 
war. 

On securing indisputable footing on the islands commanding the upper 
side of Fort Pulaski, and so cutting off supplies from its garrison, Captain 
Gould (Company G-), took a boat's crew, and, crossing the south channel 
of the Savannah to McQueen's Island — another realm of mud and lofty 
marsh-grass — destroyed the telegraphic line, posts and wires, con- 
necting Pulaski with the citj^ of Savannah. The boys will remember the 
amount of mud brought away on Federal uniforms, particularly on that of 
the Captain. Reasoning from this part of the kingdom of " Secessia," we 
concluded that the entire realm was an unsubstantial and oozy affair, as in 
the end' it proved to be ; it had no better foundation than mud and reeds. 

After completing the batteries on Jones and Bird Islands, a detachment 
was thrown upon the east end of Long Island, next to Cockspur Island, 
nearer the fort than the two other positions, where a mortar battery was 
hastily constructed to aid in the siege of the fort by a flanking fire. 
This batteiy, successively under the command of Lieutenants Turner and 
Tisdale, was of service in the siege, and especially called out the angry 
fire of one of Pulaski's barbette guns, named Beauregard. Perhaps the 
men engaged in the erection of this Long Island battery will remember, 
with a laugh, the condition in which they found the mortar they first landed 
there and left unguarded for the night. Rebel scouts had visited it during 
the night and profaned it. 

Michael Migan (Company G), died on Daufuskie Island, April 8th; 
and on the same island, Edward Haskell (Company G), died April 21st. 



74 



SHOT AND SHELL. 



[April. 



Rarely may the eye fall upon a more beautiful, fertile, luxuriant, quiet 
island than Daufuskie. Looking out through heavy forests on Skulk 
Creek, Calibogue Sound, the ocean beyond the sand-bars, and the Savan- 
nah river, with its islands on the south, it seemed to invite to indolence, 
luxury, and ease. The large and elegant Stoddard mansion, with ample 
out-buildings and rich gardens, graced the native, semi-tropical wildness of 
this charming Sea Island. The island also contained a few smaller planta- 
tions, on one of which General Viele had his head-quarters. Here, also, we 
had a hospital. One glory of the floral kingdom — the passion flower — 
abounding here, cheered our vision, preaching of triumph through suf- 
fering. 

As our regiment was necessarily distributed to different points for 
effective work, we may here state the positions of the companies. 

April 8. Head-quarters, Camp Stephen Olney, entrenchments, 
Hilton Head : Company A, Fort Wells, with a detachment on Savannah 
River ; Company B, Tybee Island ; Company C, one section at Hilton 
Head, one section on Edisto Island ; Company D, Bay Point ; Company 
E, Savannah River ; Company F, Tybee Island ; Company G, Savannah 
River ; Company H, Tybee Island ; Company I, Otter Island ; Company 
K, Hilton Head ; Company L, Hilton Head, with a detachment on two 
guns at Edisto Island ; Company M, Hilton Head. 



CHAPTER XIV. 



CAPTURE OF FORT PULASKI. 
Apkil, 1862. 

The %>elican dared the eagle's beak. 

Fort Pulaski, commanding the channels of the Savannah River, is a 
large and costly brick fortification, on the eastern portion of Cockspur Is- 
land, between the channels. It is five-sided, with a large demilune adjoin- 
ing the gorge wall on the west, and surrounded with a wide, deep moat. It 
was designed to strike north, east, and south. It mounted forty-eight 
guns in casemate and barbette, and was capable of an armament of 140 
guns. Goat Point, on Tybee Island, bears southeast from it, and is about 
one mile distant. 

It ought to be remembered — as one of the facts showing who in- 
augurated the war and gave it justly the name of Rebellion — that on the 
2d of January, 1861 — before our government had taken a' single military 
step, the Governor of Georgia, Joseph E. Brown, ordered Col. A. R. Law- 
ton, commander of the First Regiment Georgia Volunteers, Savannah, 
to immediately take possession of Fort Pulaski, in the name of the State of 
Georgia. The next day this officer, with artillery and infantry, by steamer 
and transports, reached the fort, and, forcing our national guard — consist- 
ing of an ordnance sergeant and a few assistants — took possession of the 
works and the island, lifting over all the Pelican flag. And be it remem- 
bered, too, that Georgia did not pass her formal act of treason and seces- 
sion till Jan. 19, 1861. 

The Nation's Flag 
By a Pelican rag- 
Assaulted, trailed, and flouted. 

Cockspur Island, containing the fort, its entrenchments, water batteries, 
wharves, and a few houses for outside workmen — notable among which 
was the Pelican House," is little else than a vast marsh, about one 
mile long and half a mile wide, covered generally by grass, reeds, bushes, 
prickly-pear, and a few palmettoes. Above it is Long Island, of similar 
size and wholly marsh. Above Long is Bird Island. North of Bird is 
Jones Island, South and west of Cockspur is McQueens Island, all 



76 



SHOT AND SHELL. 



[April, 



marsh. Between McQueens and Tybee Islands runs Lazaretto Creek, con- 
necting with Wassaw Sound. 

Our batteries for the siege-work, constructed under the immediate 
direction of General Gillmore and able engineers, were now ready to open 
fire along their whole line, from a point a little above the Martello Tower, 
following the margin of the island, to Goat Point. In a previous chapter 
we have named these batteries and their armaments. A formidable front 
they were, in which some of the guns, particularly the rifled-pieces, were 
destined to achieve a remarkable success and a world-wide fame. Gen. 
David Hunter came into command of the Department a few days before 
the siege opened. Everything had been made ready, however, by General 
Sherman. 

April 10. All 
things being in 
readiness to open 
the bombardment, 
General Hunter 
sent Lieut. J. H. 
Wilson, of the En- 
gineers, to demand 
the surrender of the 
fort, by its com- 
mander, Colonel 
Charles H. Olm- 
stead, of the First 
E Georgia Regiment. 
Colonel Olm stead 
replied, "I am here 
to defend the fort, 
not to surrender 
it." At a quarter-past eight in the morning, the batteries opened and con- 
tinued firing all day, disabling and silencing some of the enem3 r 's barbette 
guns. That was a warm and musical day's w T ork on both sides, as both 
parties will remember. 

Companies B, F, and H were prominent actors in this fieiy work. 
Capt. Horatio Rogers, Jr. (Company H), commanded Battery McClellan, 
composed of two eighty-four and two sixty-four pounder James rifle guns — 
sometimes called forty-two and thirty-two pounders, because that would be 
their calibre with round shot. This battery was sixteen hundred and 
twenty- yards from the walls of Pulaski. Captain Mason (Company F) 
had charge of Battery Scott, about forty yards further off, containing three 
ten-inch and one eight-inch columbiad guns, which were handled with 
great vigor and success. Captain Tourtellot (Company B) had two 
batteries about two miles distant from the fort, and his guns were served 




BREACH IN FOKT PULASKI. 



1 862.] 



THIRD R. I. H. ARTILLERY. 



77 



with telling effect, the firing receiving the commendations of Generals 
Hunter and Benham. There were also employed some thirteen-inch 
mortars. 

The battle was kept up on both sides till dark, and two of our guns 
fired at intervals of eighteen minutes through the night. The James guns 
were very effective, more than realizing our expectations. On this day 
(the 10th) Captain Rogers fired 383 solid shot and twenty shell. His 
guns were elevated from four to five degrees ; their recoil on sanded rail- 
ways was from three to five feet. Guess how our brave men bent them- 
selves to their loyal, warrior- work, under the clouds of smoke that rose 
from their heated guns. 

Was there ever a more exciting and impressive battle of big guns ? 
The defenders of the fort doing their utmost, blazed their pieces from 
casemates and parapets — a steady and heavy roar. A far heavier fire 
continually poured from the line of besieging batteries. The screeching 
shot and howling shell — making an awful flying arch of fire and iron over 
the south channel of the Savannah — as they passed each other in mid- 
heaven and as they smote their objects, were, at least, suggestive of the 
legendary wars of the gods. Ah ! the old Greek fabulists never saw any- 
thing of this kind. 

April 11. At five and a half in the morning all the guns opened again, 
and played their awful notes, and struck their deadly blows, tearing 
through the pan-coupe and southeast wall of Pulaski, and dismounting the 
rebel guns, till two and a half o'clock in the afternoon, when the rebels, 
finding the fort cut through, and their magazine exposed, run up the white 
flag for surrender. On this day Captain Rogers fired 187 solid shot and 
203 shell — the shell doing the cutting and tearing work. His battery 
was highly complimented by General Gillmore, whose first words on reach- 
ing the fort, after receiving the surrender, were, " Tell Captain Rogers the 
forty-two pounders did it." Colonel Olmstead, the rebel commander, de- 
clared that but for the James guns he should not have surrendered, and 
that their penetrating force was overwhelming. We were proud to remem- 
ber that James, the inventor of the shell, was a Rhode Islander. 

When General Gillmore went to receive the surrender of the fort, he 
was accompanied by Chaplain H. L. Wayland (Seventh Connecticut) , Mr. 
Sears (of the New South), and other officers of good height. When they 
passed through the breach of the fort, showing their height to advantage 
against the horizon, the rebel surgeon in the fort, standing by his com- 
mander on the parade, exclaimed, " My God, what Yankees ! " The com- 
mander, Colonel Olmstead, was generously allowed to retain his sword. 

The rebels called our James shells, on account of their singular ap- 
pearance, "cart-hubs." In one instance, when, from difficulty in ram- 
ming home the shell, a billet of wood had been used that could not be 
withdrawn, and was shot from the piece with the shell, and both reached 
the fort, the rebels vowed we " fired cart-hubs, spokes and all." 



78 



SHOT AND SHELL. 



[April, 



Dining the action, a shot from the fort killed one of Colonel Serrell's 
engineers, near the old chimney b}^ the landing on Goat Point. 

The formalities of the surrender are thus described by an actor in the 
scene: "The ceremony was performed in Colonel Olmstead's head- 
quarters, all standing. It was just at dark, and the candles gave only a 
half-light ; the weapons were laid on a table, each officer advancing in 
turn, according to his rank, and mentioning his name and title ; nearly 
every one adding some remark ; the Colonel's was dignified, 4 I yield my 
sword, but I trust I have not disgraced it.' Some of the others were not 
equally felicitous. Major Halpine spoke gracefully in reply. As soon 
as the surrender was complete, Colonel Olmstead turned to his officers and 
addressed them, whereupon his captors withdrew. The American flag was 
then raised upon the ramparts, and Pulaski became again part of the 
possession, as well as of the property of the Union. 

" The arms of the privates had been previously stacked on the parade, 
and the men marched to quarters. Both officers and men were allowed to 
remain all night in their usual quarters. The interior of the fort presented 
a sony sight. Blindages had been put up extending on all sides of the 
ramparts, and a part rendered bomb-proof ; but shot and shell had burst 
through many of them, had knocked in walls, had broken down stairways, 
entered casemates, upset guns, and piled up masses of rubbish and debris 
all around. Seven guns on the parapet were dismounted, nearly every 
traverse had been struck and partly torn to pieces ; all the passage-wa}^ 
were obstructed b}^ piles of stones and fallen timber ; the magazine had 
been struck, and part of its outer casing of brick torn away ; while at the 
breach the havoc was, of course, greatest of all. The breach was quite 
practicable, and so acknowledged by the commandant ; the ditch, sixty feet 
across, was more than half filled up hy the fragments that had fallen, and 
half a dozen men abreast could have entered the aperture. The Colonel 
declared, however, that he should have held out until nightfall had the mag- 
azine not been struck. This, of course, settled his fate, and rendered any 
prolonged resistance a useless risk of life." 

Compairy B, that had reached Tybee on the 7th to assist in mounting 
and working the guns, was divided and put in charge of two batteries on 
the right of the line ; Captain Tourtellot with Lieutenant Potter and half of 
the compan}^ in Batterj T I/yon with ten-inch columbiads ; Lieut. A. E. 
Greene with the remainder — smaller-sized men being from the left of the 
compan}- — in Battery Lincoln with eight-inch columbiads. These batter- 
ies were a few rods apart. Of Battery Lincoln the following incident is 
told : — 

"On the second day of the siege, Sergeant Hackett was approached by 
a staff officer, who inquired, ; ' What battery is that, and who commands it ? " 
Said the Sergeant, "Battery Lincoln, under Lieut. A. E. Greene, Third 
Rhode Island." Shortly after an officer arrived accompanied by a negro, the 



1862.] 



THIRD R. I. H. ARTILLERY. 



79 



latter bearing a case of claret wine. The officer inquired for the Lieuten- 
ant, calling his name and his regiment. When the Lieutenant appeared 
the officer said : " Lieutenant Greene, of the Third Rhode Island, and his 
men will accept this case of wine from General Hunter, with his regards for 
the splendid firing of this battery." The heated and fatigued men soon 
disposed of all the wine save one bottle that it was proposed to send 
to Captain Tourtellot. The men of Captain Tonrtellot's detachment 
grumbled a little, arguing that the wine and compliments were intended for 
the whole company. The men in Lincoln replied, " We can't see it. If 
you large fellows want to band together and try your skill against us, all 
right ; we've no objection to it ; but you can't claim our honors and wine." 

~No doubt General Hunter, who was a gentleman, paid like compliments 
to other batteries that were heroically manned and did famous service. 

On account of smoke, sand, and the fire of the enemy's guns, the work 
in the batteries on Tybee was extremely trying. Twice during the siege 
Battery McClellan, against which the rebels concentrated their guns, came 
near being blown up. Once a shell burst directly over the magazine into 
which Captain Rogers had just stepped, blowing it to pieces and burying 
him up with sand and splinters, without seriously injuring him, however, 
but slightly wounding two men. Again, a ten-inch columbiad shot struck 
the front of the magazine, carrying off the sand-covering and baring the- 
boards beneath. Captain Rogers was one of the first to spring upon the 
magazine to direct in its speedy repair. 

Fragments of this ten-inch shell struck James Campbell (Company H), 
crushing his head and cutting his thigh. He was at the same time nearly 
buried by the sand. He was immediately extricated and sent to the hospi- 
tal, but, though perfectly conscious, he died in less than an hour. Private- 
Christian Noller (Company H) , was hit by a splinter of the same shell,, 
but a little metal box in his vest pocket proved the shield of his body, 
though a painful contusion was left on his side. Of course, under such a 
heavy hail of rebel shot there were many narrow escapes. 

In working his battery Captain Rogers was bravely sustained by Lieu- 
tenants Brayton and Barney, one of whom was knocked down by a frag- 
ment of the exploded shell. And his brave men witnessing the effect of 
their shots, opening a yawning breach in the wall in direct line with the 
magazine, were enthusiastic in their work and cheered their favorite guns.. 

Similar scenes were witnessed in most of the batteries, particularly in 
Scott and Sigel. Captains Bailey and Gould, up the river with their 
respective commands preventing retreat, bore an honorable part in the 
memorable contest ; and the mortar battery on Long Island played a 
flanking fire. 

On the surrender of the fort, Company B, of our regiment, and the 
Seventh Connecticut were selected for its garrison, entering it about mid- 
night. We captured forty-seven heavy guns, a large supply of fixed 



80 



SHOT AND SHELL. 



[April, 



ammunition, forty thousand pounds of powder, a large amount of com- 
missar} 7 stores, and three hundred and eighty-five prisoners. And now 
we had command of the mouth of the Savannah and the range of the 
adjacent islands. 

We had fired on the fort 3,543 shots from guns and 1,732 from mortars ; 
total, 5,275 shots. 

Sergeant Hiepe (Company H) , an old English soldier of true grit, was 
in the regimental hospital, near the Martello Tower, on account of an 
injury in his foot. But when the siege was about to open he was unable 
to restrain his martial impulses ; so, hiring a passage to the front in a 
small dump-cart, drawn by a mule, he reported in his company's battery 
(McClellan) and demanded his right to his relief on one of the heavy 
guns (No. 3), where, despite his lameness, he did valiant service. The 
boys gave him their cheers. 

In view of the loss of their comrade, the members of Company H 
raised for Campbell's widow a contribution of one hundred dollars, that 
their words of condolence might have the more significance. 

Sergt. George W. Greene (Company B), afterwards Lieutenant, re- 
ceived a wound in his face from a fragment of the copper primer of the 
gun he was working. Thinking little of the injury, as he was always 
fearless and intent on his duty, he did not report to the surgeon. His 
wound, for some cause — perhaps from the copper and mercurial powder 
that long remained in his face — finally became most serious, and, though 
he faithfully served his three years, produced great suffering and led to 
his death. 

As Company H struck the heavj 7 blows in the siege, to them was 
assigned the honor of escorting the surrendered garrison- to Hilton IjTead, 
to the guardianship of the Provost Marshal. 

Company B had charge of the artillery in the fort, and immediately 
commenced collecting the shot and shell lying in and around the work. 

April 14. Sergt. G. J. Hill, with four men, were collecting and 
emptying shell on the parapet of the fort, and had completed, as they 
thought, their work, when, on returning to their quarters, they discovered 
a James shell that had been overlooked. As they proceeded to unload it, 
it exploded, and instantly killed John Gorton and Michael Giblen. 
Sergeant »Hill and Joseph Luther were so badly injured that they died the 
same evening. The remaining man of the squad, Charles Morgan, was 
obliged to have his leg amputated ; but he also died a few weeks after. 

Company B remained in Pulaski a little more than a month, engaged 
in artillery drill and in instructing the Seventh Connecticut in the use of 
mounted guns. 

In searching for documents relative to our history, Colonel Metcalf 
having addressed a note to General Sherman, received the following pa- 
pers in reply : — 



1862.] 



THIRD R. I. H. ARTILLERY. 



81 



" Newport, R. I. , Sept. 28, 1876. 

Edwin Metcalf, Esq. , Providence, R. I. : — 

My Dear Sir: Tour favor of the 18th was duly received, and I regret to have 
delayed an answer so long. I have been trying to hunt up some documents relat- 
ing to our expedition The fact is, the whole Adjutant-General's Of- 
fice connected with my head-quarters, in which were all the orders, correspondence 
reports, &c, were necessarily turned over to General Hunter. 

They of course should now all be in the Adjutant-General's Office at Washing- 
ton But I regret to say, I have found most of them missing, not even 

my order-book has yet been found there, and I have not a copy of any one order 
that was issued. 

I send, however, a couple of extracts from Report of the Southern Expedition 

that specially refers to your regiment Should I succeed in getting 

hold of anything interesting to you, I will send it You may be sure 

that I feel the deepest interest in your efforts to get up a good and faithful record 

of your regiment 

Yours truly, 

T. W. SHERMAN." 

(Extract from Report.) 

"General Stevens, after driving the enemy from Port Royal island, the western 
portion of which seems still to have been occupied by the enemy on his (Stevens') 
landing at Beaufort, informed me that there was a strong probability of the enemy 
fortifying on the main-land opposite his picket station at the Ferry, and that there 
was an indication of his having commenced to block the Coosaw River with piles 
to intercept its passage. The steamer Mayflower with some field-pieces and a 
couple of companies of the Rhode Island Artillery were sent from Hilton Head to 
reconnoitre Coosaw River, with the object of ascertaining how far these supposi- 
tions were true, and at the same time to ascertain by soundings the depth of 
water in that river. This was on the 18th of December, 1861. The steamer en- 
tered by Broad River and Whale Branch, and in passing Port Royal Ferry was 
opened upon by a rebel battery which was within full view and behind a well con- 
structed epaulment. The steamer ran the gauntlet of this battery at full speed 
and succeeded in its passage with some injury to the boat, but with little to the 
troops on board. Three miles further on, however, she ran aground, owing to the 
want of water or to the want of precise knowledge of the channel. Here she lay 
exposed to the fire of a field battery, which, with other troops of the enemy, soon 
gathered in her vicinity. But the artillery on board, well handled, succeeded in 
keeping the enemy off at a safe distance until the arrival of some of General Ste- 
vens' troops, stationed on the island, made their appearance in the river upon flats, 
coming to their assistance. These last troops when in sight of the enemy received 
part of their fire, and sufficiently relieved the troops on the Mayflower as to ren- 
der it easier to maintain their ground until the rise of the tide and darkness enabled 
the steamer to pursue her course unmolested. Captain Day, of the Third Rhode 
Island Volunteers (Artillery), was in command of this reconnoissance, and his 
conduct throughout deserves the greatest praise." 

{From Page 121 of Report to War Department.) 

"The New York Battalion of Volunteer Engineers, under Colonel Serrell, 
and the Third Regiment of Rhode Island Volunteers, transformed into an artil- 
lery regiment, under Colonel Brown, were of great assistance in the occupation of 
the coast and in the consolidation of its defenses. The large amount of engineer 
work, required both for attack and permanent defense, could hardly have been 
accomplished without the former. As to the latter, it was absorbed among the 
defensive positions of the coast, as well as having furnished its quota in the 
investment and siege of Fort Pulaski. It was a detachment from this regiment 
that so promptly dispersed the Confederate gun-boat fleet under Commodore 
Tatnall, which attacked the battery at Venus Point, in the Savannah River ; and 
another detachment from the same regiment that executed the daring and suc- 
cessful reconnoissance of the Coosaw River, in December. 

T. W. SHERMAN." 



6 



CHAPTER XV. 



ARMY AND NAJY OPERATIONS. 
May— June, 1862. 

New lights were kindled on the shores. 

After gaining possession of Fort Pulaski and effectually closing the 
Savannah against blockade-runners and rebel ranis and gun-boats, we first 
repaired the injuries suffered by the fort, refitted the water batteries 
around the fort, strengthened our positions on Tybee Island and Brad- 
dock's Point, and established outposts and pickets on the islands adjacent 
to the Savannah. Along the front, up the river, and in the deep creeks, 
occurred occasional skirmishes with rebel scouts and pickets. 

Soon after the recover of Pulaski, a reconnoitering force of about 400 
men, including 225 of the Eighth Maine Regiment, and a detachment of 
fifteen men of Company F of our command, under Lieutenant Colwell, on 
board the steamer Honduras, visited Wilmington Island, about eight miles 
from the city of Savannah, and had quite a duel with the " gray-backs." 
The enemy's bullets, in numerous volleys, made exciting music in our 
ears. Our response was as vigorous as the address. Our infantry were 
undisma3 T ed, and our Lieutenant was equal to the hour in his part of the 
work. The exchange of metal decided no important matter except that 
both parties were endowed with spunk. 

Amid the war- waves, just as the children of Africa were emerging 
from their bondage, homeless, penniless, unenlightened, and weak, they 
found unexpected friends and sympatlry through the Freedmen's Society 
of the North, that sent down to the Department in March teachers and 
helpers, with books and manifold helps for the organization and instruction 
of all the freedmen who desired such assistance. Prominent amongst these 
philanthropists was Rev. Mansfield French, who had his bureau at 
Beaufort, and operated largely on Port Royal Island. Another compan}', 
under Richard Soule, Jr. , had their head-quarters on St. Helena. Schools 
were established also on Hilton Head and wherever the freedmen gathered. 
The corps under Mr. French were soon known as " Gideonites," or 
" G-ids," and " Gideon's Band." Of their achievements in their new and 



1862.] THIRD R. I. H. ARTILLERY. 



•difficult mission, amid the commotions of war, history in due time will 
pronounce a -judgment. 

A few words should be given to the famous Planter. She was a small 
steamer, carrying two guns, used by General Ripley in the defense of 
Charleston harbor, and for light service. She was commanded loj a white, 
but her pilot, Robert Smalls, as also her engineer and firemen, were 
colored. 

May 13. The Planter had on board four heavy guns, destined for the 
exterior defenses of Charleston, and was lying at the wharf under steam, 
the whites being ashore. At four o'clock, a. m., the pilot, Smalls, seeing 
his opportunity, gave the signal to his colored associates — seven men, 
five women, and three children ■ — and the steamer was soon in the harbor 
on her way out. No suspicion was excited, as Smalls gave all the usual 
signals on passing the forts and batteries, and kept waving the Confederate 
flag and that of South Carolina till he reached the sea, when down came 
the rebel flags and up 
went a white one. The 
astonishment and in- 
dignation of the rebels 
were counterbalanced 
by the surprise and sat- 
isfaction of our nay}- on 
receiving this strange 
recruit of an enemy's 
armed vessel, worked 
by jubilant " contra- 
bands." The Planter 
proved to be valuable 
as an armed transport, and served on many important occasions on the 
front. Robert Smalls, a very intelligent, capable pilot, guided us on 
many an expedition up the rivers and bayous, and finally became captain 
of the steamer, honored for his skill and character throughout the Depart- 
ment. And we are now pleased to mention the fact that since the close of 
the war Mr. Smalls has become conspicuous and honored in South Caro- 
lina. " He has been a member of the Constitutional Convention, a mem- 
ber of the Legislature, a Senator, a Major-General of Militia, and a mem- 
ber of Congress." 

Let it not be supposed that in our record we allude to all the actions 
and important events that occurred in the Department of the South during 
the war. Such a narrative would swell a huge volume. Each regiment 
could and should write a volume of its own. We mention chiefly those 
battles and operations in which directly or indirectly we shared ; for, first 
or last, we co-operated with much of the navy and most of the movements 
directed against the enemy's front. And to do justice to our own toils and 




THE P L ANTES. 



84 shot and shell. [May. 

battles, we are compelled to omit minutiae, and describe matters in a 
general way, leaving abundant room for the memories of our comrades, 
and for the imagination of those who were not with us. And the anecdotes 
that we introduce are intended simply as loop-holes, through which the 
reader may look in upon our soldier-life. 

May 10. Franklin E. Burdick (Company A), died at Hilton Head. 
May 15. George Brown, of the same company, died at the same post. 
June 4. Horatio N. Moon, of the same company, died at the same post. 
May 19. Daniel B. Briggs (Company M), died of typhoid fever. June 
15. Noel Elwell (Company D), died at Fort Seward, Bay Point. 

In our camps and forts, concerned in drill and in mastering the 
intricacies of the science of heavy artillery, we maintained a worthy rank 
among all the troops, by reason of the spirit of our men and the devotion 
of our officers. While much was expected from Rhode Island, the expec- 
tation was reasonably honored. 

To facilitate and expedite certain delicate matters relating to commis- 
sions in the line of the regiment, Major Metcalf, by desire of the Colonel 
and others, obtained a leave of absence and visited Rhode Island. By re- 
quest of Governor Sprague he accompanied His Excellency to Washing- 
ton, D. C, to present certain needs of the regiment to the notice of the 
War Department. As General McClellan had now come into command of 
the armies as successor of General Scott, and the desired order must needs 
pass through his head-quarters, Major Metcalf, with the Governor, visited 
the Army of the Potomac, then in the vicinity of Yorktown, Va., where, 
during his stay, he performed by request, certain staff service for the Gen- 
eral relative to the use of heavy guns. But .his mission was shortly ac- 
complished, and he hastened back to us in South Carolina. 

By nature Colonel Brown possessed a military bearing. In appearance, 
spirit, and manner, he was fitted to command with order, precision, and ef- 
fect. But few commanders equalled him in enforcing regularity and disci- 
pline. He had a wise pride in our good appearance, as he knew it served 
to cultivate self-respect. At a certain parade of the regiment in the en- 
trenchments, when all were in line and expected to look finely, he observed 
one man, noted for his neglects, having on his slouched cap, and that at an 
unmilitary angle. Looking sharply at that point in the line, with peculiar 

emphasis he exclaimed, "Captain ; don't let me see that man on 

parade again in such unsoldierly style of dress ; nor any other man." It 
was enough. The " nor any other man " was remembered. The Colonel 
believed that order was the first law in a camp, and neatness the second. 



CHAPTER XVI. 



FIRST ADVANCE ON CHARLESTON. 
April — June, 1862. 

The heart of treasorijnust he reached. 

General Hunter always kept his eye towards Charleston, the birth- 
place of the Rebellion. Whatever movement he made this stronghold of 
secession and prized port of the Confederacy was really his objective point. 
And Commodore Dupont was equally anxious to humble that proud, defiant 
city with the national arms. The movement was planned for a joint effort 
of the naval and land forces to move by the way of Stono Inlet and Wap- 
poo Cut on the part of the gun-boats, and Edisto, John's, and James 
Islands on the part of the army. 

From the diary of Sergt. C. H. Aldrich, we will first sketch some of the 
movements of Company C, now thoroughly equipped as a light battery : — 

" April 5. Company C (Capt. Da}^), received orders to embark at Hil- 
ton Head, on board the steamer Ben DeFord, with the Third New Hamp- 
shire Volunteers, (Lieut-Col. John H. Jackson) , for Edisto Island, to sup- 
port and protect our outposts in that vicinity. 

"April 6. Reaching our destination by steamer, we disembarked at 
the landing on Edisto, and moved inland several miles by the road running 
lengthwise of the island, and Captain Day with a part of the company en- 
camped with our main force on Mitchell's plantation ; others advancing a 
mile farther to Bailey's plantation ; with these last, Lieut. G-. O. Edd} r 
and a detachment with one of our howitzers. Here, too, on Edisto, we 
found a detachment of CompanyL, under Lieut. C. A. Rossander, stationed 
at Hannahan's plantation, with one six-pounder gun and one twelve-pounder 
howitzer." 

On this beautiful island camp-life was really pleasant, save that it be- 
came monotonous. We made one reconnoissance in force across an arm 
of Little Edisto River to the plantation of Ex-Governor Aikin — reputed 
to be a Union man — and carefully spared the premises ; no enemy 
confronted us. 

May 22. By order our sections united and marched to the landing, 



86 



SHOT AND SHELL. 



[May, 



near Seabrook Island, where we camped with Hamilton's Battery of 
Regulars. 

And here the men of the command will not object to our mentioning 
the method adopted by Quartermaster-Sergt. (afterwards Second Lieut.) 
Chas. B. Oakes, to secure forage for the horses of our light batteiy on 
Edisto, as the supply on the island for the Massachusetts Cavalry, 
Hamilton's Battery, our own, and for horses of field-officers, was soon 
exhausted, and we were reduced to great straits. Fortunately, the Mas- 
sachusetts people, in their care for their cavahy, had sent out a schooner 
loaded with forage, and this vessel now lay at the landing of Edisto. 
Seizing a favorable hour, with his men and wagon ready, Quartermaster- 
Sergeant Oakes drives boldly down to the schooner, and, taking out a 
note-book and pencil to take account of bales and weights, orders the 
captain to deliver to him a load of forage. The brass of the manoeuvre 
passed for regular coin. Afterwards, Captain Hamilton asked Oakes if he 

could not help him to 
a load, and not a few 
jokes were indulged in 
complimentary- to the 
' ' best forager in the 
Department." 

June 2. Received 
marching orders, with 
Hamilton's Batte^, to 
proceed to Seabrook 
Island, preparatory to 
the contemplated ad- 

HEAD-QTJABTEES OF GENERALS HUNTEE AND MITCHELL. ^ Charleston? 

and crossed in the evening, on the historic steamer Planter, to John's 
Island. We bivouacked on the river bank till the next morning (3d) , when 
we marched, through heavy rain and wind, about six miles, and, during 
the following night, amid the storm, started for Stono River. 

May 9. Lieut. T. W. Fry (Company A) , with Sergeant Jaques (Com- 
pany K), Corp. D. A. Holmes (Company A), and Corporal Newton 
(Company M), and twenty-five privates of our regiment as a guard, de- 
tailed by order of General Hunter, took charge of forty-four prisoners 
sentenced to hard work, and embarked at Hilton Head, on board the 
schooner James M. Holmes, for Key West. The Lieutenant reached Key 
West with his charge May 20th, and on the next day turned over his 
prisoners to Maj. Charles Hunt, commanding Fort Taylor. With mixed 
experiences of the ocean, and interesting glances at the coast and Keys of 
Florida, our men returned and reported at Hilton Head near the last day 
of May. 

May 23. Companies B, E, F, H, and K left Hilton Head on the 




1862.] 



THIRD K. I. H. ARTILLERY. 



87 



steamer Delaware, and reached Edisto Island on the evening of the same 
day, where they were joined by Company I from Otter Island. Here the 
men began to practice the drill of skirmishers, under Major Sisson ; as if 
we were expected to perform every conceivable kind of military opera- 
tion, which, in fact, sooner or later, we did, and not without success. 

By order of Brig. -Gen. H. G. Wright we were brigaded under Acting 
Brig.-Gen. (Col.) Robert Williams (Massachusetts Cavalry), with the 
Third New Hampshire Volunteers, the Massachusetts Cavalry, two com- 
panies of the New York Volunteer Engineers, and Company E, Regular 
Light Artillery (Captain Hamilton's) . 

Our regimental camp on Edisto was named Camp Robert Williams, 
and Lieut. J. Lanahan was appointed Acting Adjutant of the battalion. 
Our drill was vigorously and wisely conducted. 

Ma} T 20. Three gun-boats belonging to the naval division blockading 
Charleston entered Stono Inlet and River, under the pilotage of Robert 
Smalls, and, after a short action, destroyed an old fort held by the rebels 
at Legareville, and took a few prisoners. This was to secure a foot-hold 
for our fleet and arm}* in their meditated advance upon Charleston. 

May 29. The gun-boat Pawnee passed the bar of Stono Inlet, though 
striking on the bottom about twenty times, and took position in Stono 
River as a means of protection to General Hunter's forces as they should 
come up to make their attack on James Island. 

Lieut. G. Metcalf now served on the staff of Capt. John Hamilton, 
acting Chief of Artillery for the expedition. And here we might state 
that from our first connection with the Tenth Army Corps, through all our 
experiences on the front, we were so intimately associated with Captain 
Hamilton and his battery — Light Battery E, of the regular Army — that 
we seemed as one command, for we often supplied the Captain with needed 
officers and men, and often received important favors in return. The 
Captain was a gentleman and an accomplished officer. We almost claim 
his record as a part of our own, and gladly allow him a name and place in 
our history. 

Edisto is about twenty miles from Charleston ; and here, in the Revolu- 
tion, the British forces landed to make their advance upon the city. 

Our vigorous drill as skirmishers for a number of days, and our thorough 
instruction in general duties under Major Metcalf, prepared us for the con- 
templated advance and action. In abilit} T and tact Major Metcalf had no 
superior ; and we felt perfectly assured under his cool }^et prompt guidance. 

June 1. Led by Maj. E. Metcalf, our battalion left Edisto Island, and, 
after a very fatiguing march, crossing over to John's Island and across 
it in a drenching rain, reached the village of Legareville. Says Captain 
Greene, " Company B quartered in a church — the Woonsocket people all 
being naturally pious." The men occupied the pews. The officers accepted 
the robing-room in rear of the pulpit. We justly felt that we were now the 
ccmow-icals. 



88 



SHOT AND SHELL. 



[June, 



The march across John's Island, not so much for its measured length, 
fourteen miles, as for its extreme fatigue and suffering, maj r not be for- 
gotten. It rained as only it can and will occasionally in summer on the 
southern coast ; in simple fact, it poured, and for a time filled every de- 
pression in the earth, and swelled every stream to overflowing. Obedient 
to orders, forward we steadily marched for the point of our destination. 
In wading the innumerable pools, rivulets, and depressed portions of the 
lands and fording the little creeks, the mud and fine sand filled our clothes 
and shoes, and finally our feet were so chafed, softened, and bruised, that 
we were in extreme pain. On reaching Legareville after marching through 
the whole night, all the troops were thoroughly dispirited and exhausted. 
Rest and refitting for days were indispensable. 

Says Lieutenant Gorton : " Our boys will remember the old sugar-mill 
on John's Island. We bivouacked in a cotton-field; had no tents, not even 
shelter- tents, while the rain was continuous for days. The General gave 
permission to take from the mill whatever we needed to furnish us shelters. 
That mill was soon dotted with blue-coats like flies on a piece of meat. 
Captain Rogers was presented by a member of his compan}^ with a win- 
dow. I received a shutter. Lieut. C. R. Brayton obtained a board. 
Finding a soft place in the ground — not a difficult matter — we united our 
stock and made ready for the stormy night. Like ostriches we managed to 
cover our heads. But before morning Captain Rogers withdrew from the 
firm with his window, thinking that Brayton drew his long legs too far un- 
der the narrow cover. None of us were injured through excess of sleep ; 
but we had some wild advances towards dream-land. By the way, on this 
expedition I was a volunteer Lieutenant with Companj^ H, as Lieutenant 
Barney was absent on leave. 

" By some misunderstanding between our Quartermaster and the Master 
of Transportation back on Edisto Island, our stores were not brought over 
the Edisto River ; rations were short ; hard-tack sold for twenty-five cents 
apiece, and were in demand at that. You should have seen your humble 
servant making a soup of a ham-bone in a tin cup, adding half a hard-tack 
and a quahaug. On our march fresh water, save the abounding dirty rain- 
water, was scarce ; I never before knew what it was to suffer for a drink of 
good water. When we reached a spring, heated by the march, the Sur- 
geon-General ordered a guard over it, fearing that the men would injure 
themselves by drinking too much. We were ordered to wet our wrists be- 
fore drinking. 

" We recollect finding a brown paper envelope pinned on the door of a 

house on John's Island, reading as follows : ' If you d d Yanks can't 

beat us fighting, you can in stealing.' " 

The defenses of James Island — a very important front of Charleston — 
were more extensive and formidable than we had suspected. A line of 
detached works, armed with heavy artillery, extended from Secessionville, 



1862.] 



THIRD R. I. H. ARTILLERY. 



89 



on the east of the island, across to Stono River. Another line of earth- 
works extended from Secessionville to Fort Johnson. Fort Pemberton, a 
strong and heavil}' armed earthwork, guarded the junction of Stono River 
and Wappoo Cut. In front of Secessionville was Battery Lamar, mount- 
ing six guns, protected by ditch and marsh. The distance from Stono 
River to Secessionville was two and a half miles. In the advance we 
finally made upon the village General Stevens led the right of our forces, 
and General Wright commanded the left. 

June 6. Company C, under Captain Day, reached Legareville and 
drew rations, and on the 8th crossed the Stono by steamer to James 
Island and encamped within two miles of the rebel lines, with the forces of 
General Stevens. 

June 9. Our battalion, under Major Metcalf, left Legareville on the 
Mayflower, and, running up the Stono, landed at Grimball plantation, 
covered by the Federal gun-boats. In the evening, under a severe rain- 
storm — almost pouring — we went out on picket, and, drawing the rebel 
fire, lost William Brophy (Company I), by a mortal wound. In the dark- 
ness the excitement and confusion on the picket was for a time somewhat 
bewildering, but our men very coolly did their part of the work and re- 
ceived appropriate compliments. 

The forces of Gen. I. I. Stevens landed on James Island on the 8th, 
on the lower or eastern end, near the mouth of the Stono, and had on their 
right the inlet separating James from Cole's Island. 

General Wright's forces landed on the 9th and took position on the left 
of General Stevens, separated from him by a small swamp. Our left ex- 
tended up the Stono about a mile above the landing, to a bend in the 
river, affording protection, with the aid of the gun-boats, against an 
attack on our flank and rear. Our picket-line was about a mile and a 
half from the Stono, and we were about two and a half miles from 
Secessionville and Battery Lamar, shots from which could reach our camp 
and even the river ; but our artillery from the gun-boats and our batteries 
soon kept Lamar silent. 

Unfortunately, our advance and regular attack had been delayed, 
which gave the enemy the advantage of securing heavy reinforcements. 
For consultation, General Hunter returned to Hilton Head. But General 
Benham, acting upon a rumor that proved unreliable, thought the op- 
portune moment had come, and concluded to strike. 

General Pemberton was now in charge of the defenses of Charleston. 
Under him General Evans had command on James Island with about four 
thousand men. In Battery Lamar — a really strong work, at Secession- 
ville — Colonel Lamar had two regiments at his order. His fort, protected 
by a ditch and flanked by rifle-pits, was a formidable front. And earth- 
works of no mean character extended from Secessionville to Stono River. 
To this line of defense the enemy had fallen back on our attacking the 
south end of the island. 



90 



SHOT AND SHELL. 



[June, 



June 10. General Benham had ordered a reconnoissance in force for 
the 11th, with the purpose of testing the enemy's strength, and, if pos- 
sible, of capturing Battery Lamar ; but on the afternoon of this day (10th) 
the rebels attacked our lines near the camp of General Wright, and, after 
a short but sharp action were repulsed, with a loss, as they admitted, of 
about Mty killed and wounded, including one field-officer. We had four 
killed and about a dozen wounded. 

This action was quite general along all our front. Near us in the fight 
were the Forty-fifth New York, Forty-ninth New York, and Ninety-seventh 
Pennsylvania, and Hamilton's battery. Though the blows fell thick and* 
heavy around us, and we lost two men, we firmly held our ground. The 
rebel forces were the Fort} T -seventh Georgia and a Louisiana regiment, un- 
der Colonel Williams, of the Forty-seventh Georgia. 

And here we cannot forbear mentioning the fact that in this action the 
drummer boys of the Forty-seventh New York so overflowed with the 
heroic spirit that they threw down their drums and caught up the guns of 
their fallen comrades, and went into the fight like old soldiers. The 
severity of the action lasted about two hours. Better fighting than was 
here exhibited belongs to no action. A fine record was made by the 
Ninety-seventh Pennsylvania. 

During the action our light battery, Company C (Captain Day) , select- 
ing position behind a sand-ridge, through which the} r cut rough embrasures, 
administered grape and canister in liberal quantities upon the enenry's front. 
This was the first instance in which the company had found it practicable 
to use this kind of missiles. 

Charles B. Oakes (Company C), had the fortune to capture a horse and 
equipments ; the horse was turned over to the battery, but the equipments 
were afterwards sold to Major Frieze. 

Details from different companies of our regiment were on picket when 
the enemy appeared in force to feel our lines. Sharp skirmishing followed. 
A rebel Captain, Williams, of the Forty-seventh Georgia Regiment, coming 
insight of our lines, said to his men, "Here are the Yankee sons of 

b s ; now then, boys, give them h — 1.." This naturally drew our fire upon 

him, and he was wounded and fell into our hands, and died on the 11th, 
within our lines. Surgeon Stickne} T found in his coat seven bullet-holes. 
A Masonic certificate was found upon his person, and some of our Ma- 
sons — Major Sisson and others — under a flag of truce carried his body 
through the lines. He was brother of Colonel Williams who led the enemy 
in the attack. In his pocket was a diary containing a little poem written 
the day before he fell, and believed to have been his own. We may here 
copy it : — 

" And I never shall regret it, though there struggles up a sigh ; 
No, it is my pride and glory thus to live, or thus to die ; 
Still from my heart there leaps a cry, sudden, passionate, and strong ; 
Can I, can I give up all ? God forgive me if 'tis wrong — 



1862.] 



THIRD R. I. H. ARTILLERY. 



91 



Yes, 'tis wrong, I know, to worship any God-created thing- ; 
Yet I'd give my life to-night, if one moment it would bring 
One who is my own, my darling, standing by me face to face : 
And I'd give my life up gladly, calling this my day of grace ; 
Just to tell her how I love her, just to look into her eyes ; 
Just to listen for a moment to her low and sweet replies. 
O, this grows to be a burden — all this wild, unspoken love ; 
Would to God that I could tell her — could my strong affection prove. 
Oft when wrapped up in my blanket, on the ground I seek my rest, 
I seem to drink your timid kisses seem to hold you to my breast, 
But now farewell, my only darling, you who are my life and light ; 
Far away I am from you, love, but your vision comes at night." 

5 We ought to add that the Captain as he lay wounded and dying amongst 
us, regretted that he ever took up arms against our government. 

Though the enemy was gallantly repulsed on the 10th, yet, smarting 
from the wounds received, and aware that we intended something more 
than the holding of the end of James Island, he kept up a constant irri- 
tation of our outposts, amounting sometimes to skirmishes that drew blood. 

June 15. Battery Lamar having irritated our camps with shell, General 
Stevens ordered all his batteries to open fire on the troublesome work, and 
the fire was kept up through the day. One of our pieces was a gun that 
had done superior service with James' shell at the reduction of Fort Pu- 
laski. 

What we had now experienced was only the prelude of the fiery scene 
to follow. 







CHAPTER XVII. 



BATTLE OF SECESSIONVILLE, JAMES ISLAND. 

June, 1862. 

Sore trials must precede success. 

June 16. This battle, to distinguish it from others that followed on 
James Island, has usually been styled the battle of Secessionville, because 
it occurred near that village. In sketching the action we may first men- 
tion the general movement, next give the notes furnished by Capt. A. E. 
Greene, and then present the report of our commander, Major Metcalf, 
and add the reports of Generals Benham and Stevens, and Colonel 
Williams. 

General Stevens, with the brigades of Colonels Fenton and Leasure, 
moved before dawn to make the assault upon Battery Lamar, hoping to 
capture it by surprise. General Wright's force was ordered to support 
General Stevens. The Eighth Michigan and the Seventy-ninth New York 
''Highlanders" led General Steven's force and captured the enemy's pickets. 
It had now become daylight, but the advance pushed bravery on over the 
narrow tongue of land towards the enemy's work, under a heavy fire of 
musketry, grape, and canister. A desperate attempt was made to scale 
the earthworks. The leading regiment gained a position beyond the 
causeway, at the extreme right of the works, and encountered the ditch, 
seven feet deep, and parapet, seven feet high, protected by abattis, while 
swamp was upon the right and left. The obstacles were too great to over- 
come. General Stevens lost about six hundred men. At this point, by 
orcler of General Wright, Colonel Williams brought up to the action the 
Third Rhode Island, Third New Hampshire, and Ninety- seventh Penn- 
sylvania, who, dashing through woods and swamps and across an open field, 
reached the ditch within two hundred yards of Lamar, and did splendid 
execution. 

Says Captain Greene : "The morning was cool and drizzly. Several 
hours before daylight, and without our breakfasts, we were ordered to 
advance. All the troops on the island seemed to be in motion. We 
knew nothing definitely of the part we were to act. Our battalion, under 



1862.] 



THIRD R. I. H. ARTILLERY. 



93 



Major Metcalf, consisted of the following companies : B, under Lieut. 
A. E. Greene ; E, under Capt. J. E. Bailey ; F, under Capt. P. Mason ; 
H, under Capt. H. Rogers, Jr. ; K, led in action by Lieut. D. B. 
Churchill; one section of C (light artillery), under Capt. C. W. H. Day. 
Companies B, F, and K, as skirmishers, led both our battalion and our 
brigade into action. 

44 We pressed forward at a quickstep and soon entered the woods and 
cleared the ground for the troops to follow. After emerging from the 
woods the companies still pressed forward, as we had no orders to halt, and, 
in fact, now had no field-officer with us. But three Lieutenants, Colwell, of 
F ; Churchill, of K ; and Greene, of B, having one mind, and that being to 




ENVIRONMENTS OF CHARLESTON. 



move forward, formed the men anew, and advanced close under the guns 
of the enemy's fort (Battery Lamar, near Secessionville) , and there re- 
mained until we had orders to retire and join our battalion. And then we 
had to catch it for going so far ; being told that skirmishers should halt at 
the proper distance. But we, being ignorant of the duties of skirmishers 
in that respect, and not having the presence of Major Sisson to assist us, 
knew no better than to march toward the enemy until we received orders 
to halt. But, however, we joined the battalion as directed ; and Major 
Metcalf soon received orders to move by the left flank through and across 
a muddy, miry marsh, to the assistance of the Third New Hampshire that 
was in trouble. 



94 



SHOT AND SHELL. 



[June, 



' ' We moved as ordered and halted a short distance from the enemy's 
works, and, opening sharply, silenced the rebel guns by our musketry. 
We could not reach Battery Lamar and its defenses as an impassable 
morass intervened. While the battalion here stood in line the enemy 
opened on us with musketry and also from a small battery in our rear. 
Major Metcalf received a ball on the shoulder and had his horse wounded 
by a bullet ; * yet he coolly formed the lines and advanced the battalion 
towards the woods, from whence the fire proceeded. We advanced a part 
of the wa}' at quick-time, and when within about two hundred yards the 
order came, ' double-quick ! ' 

" Then the music commenced. Jerry Lanahan, Acting Adjutant, at 
the top of his voice, shouted, ' Let yees yell ! Yankee men and Irish- 
men, Let yees yell ! ' And the men did yell. Right on we clashed. 
And we took the woods. But, as in all such scenes, some fell. At the 
commencement of the action Lieut. Isaac M. Potter (acting with Company 
B), received a ball through his wrist and was sent to the rear. E. S. 
Bartholomew (late Sergeant of Company B), having just received his 
commission as Lieutenant, arrived at James Island, and was assigned to E 
in time to participate in the action, and was mortally wounded while cheer- 
ing his men in the fight. 

" After clearing the woods of the enemy, our battalion was ordered to 
retire, as the forces had failed to capture the enenry's works. We brought 
off our wounded and a quantity of rebel rifles. As a word of praise is 
more or less welcome to all men, so the cheer that our battalion received 
from Compaq E, Third United States Light Artillery as we marched by 
them, did not displease us." 

As a whole, the battle was commanded by General Benham, in the ab- 
sence of General Hunter ; the right division under General Stevens, the 
left under General Wright. We were in Wright's division, and Williams' 
brigade. The heaviest of the battle and the greatest losses fell to Ste- 
vens' command. Next in severe service and loss was our brigade. The 
troops on our side were the Forty-sixth and Forty-seventh New York ; 
Third Rhode Island ; Forty-fifth, Ninety-seventh, and One Hundredth 
Pennsj'lvania ; Sixth and Seventh Connecticut ; Eighth Michigan; Third 
New Hampshire ; Twenty-eighth Massachusetts ; First New York Engi- 
neers ; First Connecticut Artillery ; E, Third United States Artillerj' ; H, 
First Massachusetts Cavaliy. 

When we had orders to go to the relief and support of the Third New 
Hampshire, we instantly moved by our left directly across a fearful quag- 
mire or swamp, instead of losing time by a longer and dryer route, since 
time was now an invaluable consideration. Our men will recollect the 
feats here performed ; floundering, wading — some said swimming ; Major 
Metcalf, obliged to dismount from his horse up to his waist, plowed through 
the ooze, the grime and mud on him making him a war-picture. Acting 



1862.] 



THIRD R. I. H. ARTILLERY. 



95 



Adjutant Lanahan was also unhorsed, but he had the happy advantage of 
long legs that enabled him to keep the front as he desired. Under any 
other circumstances this chapter of swamp march would have been im- 
measurably laughable. Certainly, the complimentary designation applied 
to us by our " misguided southern brethren" of " mud-sills," was nothere 
very remote from the truth. All allowed that the soil was free enough for 
the strongest " Free-soiler." 

Company I commanded an earthwork to the right and rear of our 
brigade as we went into action, and did excellent service in shelling the 
woods and the rebel front, and were of special service in covering our 
retreat. Indeed, these gunners were the last to leave the island, holding 
the eiien^ at ba} T till all our troops had crossed the river. And, on leaving 
their battery, bringing off. all their guns, they mounted blackened logs, 
a la Quaker pieces, and left their written compliments in little billets 
pinned and tied on the bushes. 

The best general view of the part we took in the action will be learned 
from the report of our commander : — 

MAJOR METCALF'S REPORT. 

"James Island, S. C, June 18, 1862. 

Lieutenant: I have the honor to report that in accordance with instructions 
received in the evening of the 15th instant, from the Acting Brigadier- General 
Commanding First Division, Head-quarters Brigade, my battalion was held in 
readiness to move at three o'clock on the morning of the 16th; Company I 
(Captain Strahan) being detailed for duty at the battery in advance of the First 
Brigade, and a detachment under Lieutenant Metcalf , of Company K, remaining 
in charge of the battery at this point. My command comprised but five com- 
panies, B, E, F, H, and K, numbering three hundred and sixty enlisted men, with 
two field, three staff, and fourteen company officers. 

Leading the brigade three companies, B, F, and K, of my battalion, were 
deployed as skirmishers, under the direction of Major Sisson, at the entrance to 
the wood covering the approach to the rebel battery. The other companies 
marched steadily to the front, halting in a position to support the troops of the 
First Brigade, who had fallen back, and being joined at this point by the parties 
thrown out as skirmishers. 

After again advancing in line, under orders to support the Ninety-seventh 
Pennsylvania Volunteers, the battalion was ordered to take position on the right 
of the Third Regiment New Hampshire Volunteers, and for this purpose crossed 
the marshy ground flanking the enemy's battery. We had hardly formed in line 
of battle and commenced firing when an order came to capture a field-battery in 
their rear, which was firing with fatal effect on the Third New Hampshire 
Regiment. The battalion was immediately ordered to about-face and advance 
upon the thicket, behind which the enemy's field-guns were concealed. In effect- 
ing this object we encountered a galling fire from the enemy's sharp-shooters in 
the thickets at our front and left, and many were wounded in our ranks, but all 
pressed forward, the men cheering and firing with spirit. 

I urged them into cover of the woods as rapidly as possible, and with great 
difficulty they forced their way in, encountering small parties of rebels, many of 
whom were shot and bayoneted, one prisoner being secured. A few of my men 



96 



SHOT AND SHELL. 



[June, 



succeeded in reaching the inner edge of the thicket and gaining sight of the field- 
guns, three in number, without horses, and supported apparently by only two or 
three companies of infantry. I felt confident of securing them, but the Third 
New Hampshire Regiment having fallen back, I deemed it my duty to order my 
men to retire, which they did in good order, but slowly and reluctantly, bringing 
off such of our dead and wounded as could be seen on our way. 

Feeling my utter want of experience, I have great hesitation in speaking of the 
conduct of those under my command, some of whom were not, like myself, for the 
first time under fire. I keenly appreciate the honor of leading such men into bat- 
tle, and cannot too highly praise their coolness, steadiness, and courage. If any 
faltered, I was spared the shame of seeing it. Where all did their duty so well, I 
mention a few whose bearing was conspicuous, without detracting from the merits 
of others. 

Maj. H. T. Sisson deserves much credit for his successful management of the 
skirmishers during the advance, and for his constant efforts to aid us in carrying 
out the various orders received in the course of the morning. I take great pleas- 
ure in speaking of the Battalion Adjutant, First Lieut. J. Lanahan, Company I, 
always prompt and cool, and sustaining me in every difficulty by his good judg- 
ment and long experience as a soldier. First Lieut. A. E. Greene, commanding 
Company B, was especially energetic and active. Second Lieut. E. S. Bartholo- 
mew, Company E, nobly proved himself deserving the commission he had received 
since our departure from Hilton Head, falling mortally wounded while cheering 
on his men into the thicket from which the enemy so severely annoyed us. Capt. 
H. Rogers, Jr., and First. Lieut. C. R. Brayton, of Company H, were untiring in 
their exertions and zealously supported me. First Lieut. A.VW. Colwell, of Com- 
pany F, and Second Lieut. D. B. Churchill, of Company K, particularly attracted 
my notice by their coolness and energy. 

I am pleased to notice First Sergt. Gr. W. Greene and Sergt. J. B. Batcheller, 
of Company B; First Sergt. O. A. Thompson, of Company E, and First Sergt. W. 
Wheeler, Jr., of Company K, as distinguished for gallant conduct. I shall feel 
justified in recommending them to the Governor of Rhode Island for promotion. 

It is with a bitter feeling of regret, though with no sense of shame, that I 
have to report the serious loss sustained by my battalion : One sergeant, six pri- 
vates, killed; two officers, four corporals, twenty-four privates, wounded; one 
corporal, seven privates, missing; total, forty-five 

I have the honor to be Lieutenant, very respectfully, your obedient servant, 

EDWIN METCALF, 

Major Commanding Second Battalion Third Regiment Rhode Island Artillery. 
To Lieut Charming Clapp, Acting Assistant Adjutant-General" 

CASUALTIES. 

Killed. Second Lieut. E. S. Bartholomew (E), gunshot through the 
abdomen, causing death on the night of the 17th ; Sergts. Patrick H 
Gilligan (F) ; Martin Heeney (I) ; Privates Benjamin L. Sayles (E) ; 
Patrick Gamon (E) ; Willard Chaffie (E) ; Stephen B. Wells (F) ; James 
O, Donald (F) ; Edward Dunbar (H) . The bodies of Gilligan, Dunbar, 
and Chafee only were recovered from the field. William Brophy, wounded 
on the 8th, died on the 17th. 

Wounded. First Lieut. Isaac M. Potter (B), gunshot through right 
wrist; -Corp. Peter B. Balcom (B), gunshot in shoulder; Daniel L. 



1862.] THIRD R. I. H. ARTILLERY. 97 

Arnold (B), gunshot through left lung; John Higgins (B), gunshot in 
knee-joint; William Davis (B), gunshot; Joseph C. Thibodeau (B), gun- 
shot in left hand; Robert Hill (B), gunshot in left foot; Moses A. 
Payne (B), flesh wound in face ; William H. Springer (E), in right foot ; 
James McKnight (E), in right arm; Corp. John Cameron (F), ,hip and 
back ; Corp. John Murley (F), right side and hand ; Corp. John O'Brien 
(F), side; Charles Gallighan (F), knee-joint; John Gilligan (F), nose 
and mouth, severe; John Curran (F), left leg; John Darcy, (F), right 
arm; John E. Lake (F), left leg; James M. Cook (F), left hand; 
William Burroughs (F) , below knee-joint ; George H. Brigg§ (F) , ab- 
domen ; William Hobert (F), abdomen ; Philetus H. Arnold (F), left hand 
and side; Patrick Dillon (F), hand; Thomas Carr (H), left side; Pat- 
rick Mahon (H), calf of leg; Peter Nailan (H), foot; John Calorin (H), 
shoulder; F. H. Taft (K), in leg, afterwards - died at David Island, New 
York ; Frank Carroll (K), in scalp. 

Missing. Sergt, J. B. Batcheller • (B) ; Hugh Ingolsby (B) ; S. A. 
Cooley (Musician, E) ; James Oullahan (H), probably dead ; Gilbert K. 
Curtis (H) ; Thomas Doheity (B), probably dead; Michael Feeny (H) ; 
Corp. William Cody (K), probably dead; Thomas Miner (K), probably 
dead. 

Sergt. Martin Heeney (Company I), was killed on the 16th by the acci- 
dental explosion of a shell in the battery manned bv his company. 

First Lieut. F. Tisclale (Company E) , was wounded in the foot on the 
17th by the discharge of his pistol. 

Under the direction of Surgeon Stickney our wounded were forwarded 
to Hilton Head. 

Of the killed in this battle we might mention Capt. Benjamin Church, 
a native of Bristol, R. I., who commanded a company in the Eighth 
Michigan Regiment. 

We may here give the orders issued after the battle by General 
Benham and Colonel Williams : — 

"Head-quarters, Northern District, Department of the South, ) 
Stono River, S. C, June 18, 1862. ) 

General Orders, No. 16 : — 

The Commanding General desires to thank the officers and men of the different 
regiments of his command engaged in the reconnoissance of the works of the 
enemy at Secessionville, and of the ground to trie left of our camp, upon the 16th 
instant. 

The cool and steady daring of our men ; their persistent courage in scaling the 
works of the enemy under the most murderous fire of grape and musketry; with 
the excellent order in which they retired as they did, in the complete formation 
of the line of battle from the field, when ordered, merits the highest praise that 
can be given. 



By order of Brig.-Gen. H. W. BENHAM. 

I. R. SEALEY, 

Second Lieutenant and Assistant Ad r jutant-GeneraV 

7 %M. 



98 



SHOT AND SHELL. 



[June 



General Stevens, who led the attack on our right directly in front of 
Battery Lamar and upon whose forces fell the brunt of the battle, in his 
report thus speaks of one of our companies : 4 ' The firing from the batter 
ies at the point by Compan}' I, Third Rhode Island Volunteers, Captain 
Charles G. Strahan commanding, was commenced immediately after the 
unsuccessful charge of our troops had been made upon the works of the 
enemy. Although having every gun but one disabled veiy soon after the 
commencement of the action, the firing was conducted with great precision 
and regularity, nearly every shot taking effect in the fort or in the woods in 
the rear of the work where the large forces of the enemy were lying. The 
single gun was worked with as much rapidity as possible during the entir 
engagement, in the course of which one sergeant was killed." 

Perhaps our men served with a little more zeal under General Stevens 
because we claimed him as a Rhode Islander. Braver soldier never drew 
sword. How deeply we, in common with all our country mourned him when 
he fell at the front Sept. 1st, of this year, in the battle of Chantilly. 

"Head-quarters, James Island, S. C, ( 
Geimb all's Plantation, June 24, 1862. S 

I. The Colonel commanding desires to express to the Third New Hampshire 
the Third Rhode Island, and the Ninety-seventh Pennsylvania Volunteers, his 
sincere thanks for, as well as his greatest admiration of, their bravery and good 
order during the battle of the 16th inst. He feels assured that no troops could 
have behaved better, and that, when they again meet the enemy, their brave 
comrades who have fallen in the glorious performance of their duties will be duly 
avenged. 

II. The names of those officers and soldiers who have been especially men 
tioned for gallantry and good conduct during the' action, shall be forwarded not 
only to the Commanding General, but to the Governor of the State to which they 
respectively belong. 

By order of ROBERT WILLIAMS, 

Acting Brigadier-General. 

CHAINING CLAPP, 
Acting Assistant Adjutant-General.' 1 ' 

Colonel (Acting Brigadier-General) Williams, in his letter to Governor 
Sprague relative to this battle, thus speaks : "I desire to express to youi 
excellency my extreme admiration of the courage and soldierly conduct o 
Major Metcalf s battalion, and particularly of the Major himself. It is ni} 
belief that no officers or men could have behaved better under fire tha 
they did ; and certainly no officer could have led his command with mor 
skill and bravery than did Major Metcalf." He at the same time gave t 
the Governor the report made to him hy Major Metcalf, and endorsed th 
names of officers and men mentioned for excellent behavior in the battle 
to whom the Governor shortly gave commissions ' ' for gallant conduct i 
action." 

The Federal loss in this battle was 85 killed, 472 wounded, and 12 
missing. The rebel loss was 51 killed, 144 wounded, and 9 missing. 



CHAPTER XVIII. 



SCENES FOLLOWING THE BATTLE. 

June, 1862. 

By sacrifice the right is- won. 

It was inexpedient to immediately retire from the scene of action. The 
'enemy had a heavy force in front of us, as, besides the usual force of about 
four thousand on James Island, these had been reinforced by a regiment 
from Charleston, a battalion of the Forty-seventh Georgia, Lamar's Bat- 
tery, and a detachment of the Chatham Artillery (Savannah). Colonel 
Lamar was wounded severely in the neck ; Captains Reed and King, and 
Lieutenant Edward, were killed. The Confederates confessed to severe 
handling and heavy loss. 

We had much sad work in caring for our dead and wounded. Some will 
remember the great number carried back from the field and laid for the time 
in a large barn or old cotton-house near the Stono, not far from the camps 
of General Stevens' forces. Stretchers and surgeons were in great demand. 
To soldiers the picture of a battle-field after a severe action need not be 
drawn, nor can it be put upon paper ; its ghastly features must be seen to 
be understood. But all that tenderness and strength under the trying cir- 
cumstances could do, was promptly done. 

Here we must make mention of one who nobly died, and was deeply 
mourned by all our command. 

LIEUT. ERASMUS SHERMAN BARTHOLOMEW. 

He was born in Denmark, Lewis County, New York, July 31, 1830, 
and was the son of Dr. Erasmus D. Bartholomew and Mary S. Brewster, 
a descendant of Elder William Brewster, of M^flower fame. Becoming a 
christian at the age of nineteen, he eagerly sought an education and 
thought of the christian minis tr}^, and was a student in Wyoming and 
Rochester, N. Y. Impaired health led him to Woonsocket, R. I., where he 
became a dentist, under the instruction of his brother, Dr. S. B. Bar- 
tholomew. At the call of Our country for defenders he said, " I go from 
a sense of dut}^. I have neither wife nor children, and there is no reason 
why I should not go." He first enlisted as a member of Company K, in 
the First Rhode Island Detached Militia, and served as first corporal. Re- 



100 



SHOT AND SHELL. 



[June 



turning from the field with that regiment he held himself read} T for new 
service. 

Enlisted as a private in Company B, of our regiment, he was chosen 
Sergeant-major Aug. 31, 1861, and, finally, for brave conduct and ability, 
was commissioned as Second Lieutenant Ma} T 21, 1862. On John's 
Island, in our advance to James Island, he led a reconnoitering party with 
great prudence to the front, and pushed back the enemy. During our first 
night on James Island, in the darkness and storm, he led a squad of men 
in our advance to feel out the enemy, and encountered them near midnight 
in a sharp skirmish, having some of his men wounded. For a time he was 
exposed to the fire of both armies, and did not fall back to our line till 
receiving special orders to do so from Major Metcalf, though Lieutenant 
Gorton had previously sent to find him. 

His conduct in the battle of June 16th, like all his previous service, 
was prompt, cool, brave, faithful. When wounded he was borne from the 
field by Captain Rogers and Lieutenant Bray ton. His, comrades and the 
surgeon rendered every service possible under the circumstances. He was, 
withal, a true soldier of the Cross, and met death with a strong, triumphant, 
christian faith. His last words to his fellow- officers and attendants will 
never be forgotten. He expired June 17, 1862, aged thirty-one years. Said 
Major (afterwards Colonel) Metcalf, "The beauty and strength of his 
character and his life lay in his perfect faith in the religion which he 
practiced as well as professed." Said Captain Rogers, who assisted in 
bearing him from the field, " His death has left a void that cannot easily 
be filled, for he was beloved and respected by the whole regiment, and 
his influence was of the purest and holiest nature." 

LIEUTENANT GEORGE CARPENTER. 

We were called to mourn the loss of another officer. Lieut. George 
Carpenter died at Fort Seward June 28th. Coming so soon after the death 
of Lieutenant Bartholomew, and falling not in battle, but in garrison, his 
solemn muster-out deeply affected us all. He joined us under his commis- 
sion Oct. 2, 1861, and served with great fidelity till stricken down and 
removed b} T disease. 

The son of Wooster and Lovina (Brown) Carpenter, he was born in 
Seekonk, Mass., July 17, 1831, and was at first a shell-worker, and after- 
wards an artist of much ability. Possessing excellent qualities of char- 
acter, he was highly esteemed by his comrades. He, like inany others of 
our officers, had served in the First Rhode Island Detached Militia, and 
always proved himself a capable and brave soldier. He was wounded in 
the leg at the battle of Bull Run, July 21, 1861. 

After we reached Port Royal he served in Fort Welles till about Jan. 1, 
1862, when his compam' (D), with Companies F and H were sent over to 
Fort Seward, at Bay Point, where he served as Quartermaster and Com- 
missaiy to these companies. His views of the war were expressed in his 



1862.] 



THIRD R. I. H. ARTILLERY. 



101 



wish that " the nation would proclaim abolition and do the works of re- 
pentance," adding that " the Almighty has no attribute to help a nation 
that will not relax its grasp on the souls and bodies of oppressed slaves." 
In April he was attacked with marsh fever, from which he never recovered. 
Just and tender funeral honors were paid him at his burial. In March, 
1863, the officers and members of his company sent his remains north to 
his native place, where his relatives and old comrades of Company D, 
First Rhode Island Detached Militia, with Chaplain Woodbury, paid the 
last public honors to his memoiy and laid him with his kindred. 

A brave heroic man, 
An offering- for the right. 

Before this, perhaps, we ought to have stated that in our record we 
purposely abstain from criticisms of governmental orders and th.6 plans of 
our military chiefs ; not but what we have our opinions, but we choose to 
leave the final judgment of such matters to those who may stand so far apart 
from the smoke and dust of the field as to discern things in their just rela- 
tions. Men and measures will be finally weighed t in the balances of calm 
and impartial histor}\ We are — or ought to be — satisfied to record the 
facts and experiences as the} r occurred. Those who succeed us will best 
understand the good or evil of our doings. 

" There is a Providence that shapes our ends." 

Sergeant Waite writes: "In May, 1862, the troops were all with- 
drawn from Otter Island, in anticipation of the battle that soon after took 
place on James Island ; and I, as Acting Ordnance Sergeant, had to remain 
in charge of the government property in and around the fort. Captain 
Truxton (of the Dale) , felt some indignation that the troops should be 
taken away without his receiving an} r official notice. . . . After the 
battle on James Island, the enemy gradually drew down again to their old 
positions, and I received almost daily warnings from Captain Truxton. He 
sent enough of his marines ashore for me to establish a guard and man two 
guns. The 'rebs' finally established a picket near the shore opposite us, 
a little more than a stone's throw from the island, which compelled me very 
reluctantly to inform them at head-quarters that I could no longer consider 
the government property safe without troops to defend it. I gave this in- 
formation without any joyfulness, because I knew it would deprive me of 
.the only independent command I ever held in the army. I could almost 
say with Alexander Selkirk, 

" I am monarch of all I survey." 

" I had accumulated, in one way and another, nearly a hundred chick- 
ens, one duck, and had hatched out a brood of turkej^s under a hen ; but 
a big storm came and broke me up in the turkey business ; yet I more 
than made up for that in sea-turtles, large numbers of which I caught as 
they came up the beach at night to deposit their eggs. With the help of the 
' contrabands ' I caught one supposed to weigh four hundred pounds or over ; 



102 



SHOT AND SHELL. 



[June,. 



lie could carry a man on his back. ... I nearly forgot to say that it 
will be undisputed by any person ever there that Otter Island sand and 
air will contain more mosquitoes and fleas to the square inch than any 
other place. Of alligators there were more than enough. But all the 
plagues and pleasures of Otter Island were soon brought to a close by 
orders from head-quarters to dismantle the fort, ship everything, and re- 
port to Hilton Head, where I received orders to go in the same capacit}- 
to Florida and report at Fort Marion, St. Augustine, the oldest fortifica- 
tion in the United States." 

Adds Captain .Greene : ' 4 The men had to endure various battles 
while out on picket. There we were attacked constantly by the gallinip- 
pers ; and we always came off second best. An overcoat or thick pants 
didn't seem to be any obstruction ; they were after blood, and blood they 
got. If praises of the men of the Third are ever sung for gallant conduct, 
it seems to me that the battles fought in the night by them while on this 
dut} 7 in the woods ought to be accorded a high and prominent place." 

Among the stories of the battle our boys tell one of private John 
Mulligan (Compan}^ E). Becoming, in consequence of the charge and 
its results, somewhat separated from his comrades, he found himself under 
the necessity of doing a little scouting and fighting on his own hook. 
Espying a rebel near him coming into a warlike attitude, he sprang behind 
a tree and took aim where he had his enemy at a disadvantage. Where- 
upon the Johnnie shouted, " I surrender ! " Said Mulligan, " Come here, 
then ! Throw down that gun ! Give me that cartridge-box ! " And 
Mulligan said of him, after he had surrendered, " He looked like a poor 
divil that had just buried his grandmother." 

We must give another incident of the battle. It appears that just be- 
fore the action Foster Cook (Compairy H) , had done something that much 
displeased Captain Rogers, but during the heat of the action behaved very 
bravely, and, when meeting the enemy as he did, hand-to-hand, he thrust 
his bayonet into a rebel and lifted him from the earth, as he had great 
strength. After the battle, Captain Rogers, knowing what had been done, 
called him and said, "Cook, you have been a very bad man, but this 
brave conduct of yours atones for a great many sins." So the account 
was balanced. 

. All will thank us for here giving the valuable and deeply interesting 
narrative, furnished by our brave comrade, and which we entitle 

CAPTURE AND IMPRISONMENT OF SERGT JAMES B. BATCHELLER, COMPANY B =. 
June, 1862 — February, 1863. 
"Near three o'clock, on the morning of June 16, 1862, we were ordered in line 
to take three days' rations, forty rounds of ammunition in our cartridge-boxes,, 
and twenty, I think, in our pockets, and to be ready to move on the front. As we 
received orders to move out, Captain Greene said, " 4 Keep as cool as you can ; obey 
my orders, and no others; then you will know what you are about.' Colonel Wil- 
liams, a fine man, full of life and ability, commanded our brigade. Our company 



1862.] 



THIRD R. I. H. ARTILLERY. 



103 



(B) deployed as skirmishers through a strip of woods and came in open sight of 
Fort Lamar, at Secessionville. 

At break of day the battle was in full blast, and, shortly, the Twenty-eighth 
Massachusetts came back past us in a broken condition. At that moment our 
battalion had orders to cross a creek, and Major Metcalf, our commander, as cool 
as ever a man could be, said, ' Now we have a job to do; we are to charge on that 
regiment that is firing on us.' The tide was out of the creek and the mud was 
knee-deep. Major Sisson's horse stuck fast in the mud, and two of the men 
offered him help, when he coolly dismounted, saying, ' Let the horse go to the 
dogs,' and, floundering through the mire, was at his post. All this time the shot, 
shell, and bullets were coming from all quarters. On reaching the bank we 
opened fire for a time on Lamar. Soon we had to turn and face the Johnnies in 
the woods with a charge. Said Major Metcalf, ' Boys, remember where you are 
from,' and the whole line, yelling like wild men, pushed forward, while the " rebs" 
were hotly firing and laying out some of our best men. 

Before we reached the woods the rebels broke and run. Our officers said, 
k Into the woods, boys, and drive them out.' At this moment I heard a voice say- 
ing, 'There goes Lieutenant Bartholomew,' as he was shot through the loin — as 
fine an officer as ever drew a sword, and greatly liked by his men. At this 
instant an order came to move by the left flank, but I, being inside of the woods 
with others, did not hear the command, and so kept on through the thick brush 
and vines that were well-nigh impassable. Here, in the woods, many of our men 
were shot. And I saw one Union boy who had fallen dead upon the lifeless body 
of a rebel, as though we were looking at him when he fell. Shortly, one of our 
boys of Company H, said, ' The rebels are right out there,' and immediately I 

heard a cry, ' Drop that gun, you Yankee son-of-a ' , and up rose a body of 

men from behind a small embankment. An officer said, 'Come here; there's no 
use in having words; off with belt and cartridge-box; we want what is left.' 
When I was taken I had fired about twenty rounds. 

There were four of us from our regiment, myself and Hugh Ingoldsby from 
Company B, and G. K. Curtis and Michael Feeny from Company H. Quickly 
marched to a place of safety, we were soon joined by a number captured from 
the Third New Hampshire, when we were started for the other end of James 
Island. Here General Evans came and tried to draw from us information relative 
to the Union forces on the island. He questioned me in particular, bat I knew 
just then but very little. Then, picking out different prisoners, he said, ' Here 
we have members from ten different regiments.' In the afternoon we fell into 
line and the guard marched us to a tug-boat and took us across to Charleston. 
On the same boat were many of the rebel wounded. Among them was Colonel 
Lamar, a large man and a rank rebel, shot in the cheek and a part of his ear gone; 
and he swore at us, calling us all the dear names known to men in our places. 

The wharf of the city was crowded with people who indulged in shouts and 
the use of hard names, so that the guard had to keep them from mobbing us. 
We were marched to the Broad Street Police Station and put in cells for two 
days, with only two meals a day, when we were taken to Columbia and put in the 
prison just off Main Street. Near us was the market, where, occasionally, slaves 
were sold at auction. Soon after reaching this jail in Columbia we were joined 
by some captured troops from Shiloh, among whom was General Prentiss; so we 
talked of our various battles. 

On signing an agreement that we would not try to escape from the prison, we 
were allowed the liberty of the jail-yard — quite a space- Generally we had two 
meals a day, crackers and pork, or bacon, tolerable fare, though not as much as 
we could eat. When captured I weighed 165 pounds, but when paroled, in the 
next February, I weighed only 108 pounds. 



104 



SHOT AND SHELL. 



[July, 



While at Columbia we found one true and noble friend. The water in the jail 
not being of the best, we were kindly allowed — one serving the rest — to go after 
spring and well-water, not far from the jail. One of the wells that we visited 
was on the same street, and on a board on the curb of this well we found a few 
tomatoes, sometimes a biscuit or two, and sometimes bread, not noticed by the 
guard who stopped at the gate. These gifts were from a woman whom we saw 
but never knew, and whose name we could not learn, but we put her down as an 
A No. 1 Union woman. We never saw men on the premises. We were always 
ready to go after water, and many a sick man in the jail got a slice of bread or a 
dainty brought to him by the stronger comrade, and many a blessing tliat lady 
donor got. We hope she may meet with this, our record, that she may know 
what we think of her. 

July 4. We managed to celebrate the day. One of the boys had with him a 
nice, silk guidon, intended for use by a brigadier-general, an emblem he had with 
him when he was captured, and which he concealed by wrapping around his body 
under his clothes. On this day we fixed it to a broom-handle and poked it 
through the iron bars over the door of the jail, when all hands gave three rousing 
cheers for the Union. Great was the excitement on the street on seeing this flag 
and hearing the cheers. Up rushed the. officer of the guard and demanded our 
emblem, and threatened, on refusal, to put us in irons. No one of us knew any- 
thing about the flag, as a safe hiding-place had been prepared for it beforehand. 
Thus we tried to fulfill the commandment, ' Eejoice evermore,' and held our flag 
from our enemies, but waved it over their city in 1862. 

But we had some solicitude in passing off our time within prison walls. 
Our first and greatest trouble was to keep ourselves clean from vermin, and that 
generally took from two to four hours a day. Those who change their clothes 
once or twice a week know nothing of the trouble we poor soldiers had in this 
matter of cleanliness and freedom from lice. We had no change of raiment from 
the time we were captured till the time at which we were exchanged in the mid- 
dle of the following winter. Great and constant was our labor in warring against 
dirt and vermin. Many an hour have I worked over my shirt, and pants, and 
blouse — all the clothes I had to my name. 

Not all men are equally particular in their habits of neatness. Some were 
lazy and made no effort to keep in a proper condition, which made matters worse 
for the rest of us. Sometimes the boys would take one of these delinquents in 
hand and put him under the hydrant and give him a good soaking, if nothing 
more. That would please the rebel guard, for it happened that they were a clean 
set of men. Indeed, they would often talk with us when their officers were out of 
sight, and would express their views of the war. Such as were foreigners were 
weary of the war and wished themselves in the Union; bat the Southerners were 
regular rebels and were rank for war. 

So passed the summer at Columbia, while all sorts of reports about the war 
and about an exchange of prisoners occupied our thoughts. Very soon after cool 
weather set in we had orders to be ready to take the cars to Eichmond, Va. In 
passing through the city to take the train, one of the guard pointed out to me 
Wade Hampton and other rebels of high rank. The streets through which we 
marched, for a long distance, were finely shaded by rows of trees. 

The train took us to Charlotte, N. C. When at Salisbury, N. C, more prison- 
ers from the prison in that place were added to our number, and we continued on 
to Raleigh, N. C, where we stopped for one night. In four days we reached 
Richmond. But O, what long faces the boys put on when the rebels showed us 
our boarding-house for the future — a windowless brick building — the noted 
Libby Prison. We were put into one end of the third-story. The dead-line was 
a black mark across the floor, about ten feet from the windows, and the guard, 



1862.] 



THIRD R. I. H. ARTILLERY. 



105 



on the sidewalk, could see if we crossed the line to look out of the window. 
It was not allowed any of the men in one story to pass to another; guards were 
on all the stairs, two at the top and two at the bottom of each flight; our 
officers were imprisoned in the lower story. 

We greatly suffered on cold nights, when the wind blew from the river right 
through the building. Many a strong man was carried out to return no more, 
having incurred his death in that building. Nearly every day the dead were 
carted off to be buried; the Lord knows where. Occasionally, when a poor fellow 
was dying, a comrade was allowed to visit him to receive his dying messages. 

I could never understand why the rebels, as a rule, were so cruel. They were 
worse than Turks. Subordinate officers, to win the favor of their superiors, 
would kick a Yankee for the least word or deed and call him by hard names. If 
a man was from Massachusetts, he was called a black abolitionist. And yet these 
men when prisoners in our hands were always kindly treated, as some of them 
have confessed. 

When we were taken to Aiken Landing, on the James Eiver, to be exchanged 
on parole, we talked with some of the rebel prisoners about to be exchanged, and 
they assured us that they returned reluctantly, and wished to be in the United 
States, where they had been so liberally dealt with. 

What feelings went through me when I marched on to the boat and felt free 
to think and speak, and where there was an abundance of bread and meat ready 
for us. Our joy increased as we moved out into the stream and headed down the 
river. Delighted groups of men were here and there talking and laughing — 
officers and men alike. Every possible thing was done to make us comfortable. 
After our long rebel fast, how good was that soft bread, sweet ham, and hot 
coffee. At night we came to anchor. The next day we reached Fortress Monroe, 
passing close by the ill-fated Cumberland, with her flag still at the mast-head, 
that her brave men would not strike. What a circle I had made since our regi- 
ment left this place, on the 29th of October, 1861, with one of the largest fleets 
that ever sailed from that harbor. Here we found members of the Sanitary Com- 
mission — always our warm friends — who served us faithfully, especially the 
sick, placing them in good quarters. We were furnished with a new suit of 
clothes, from top to bottom, so that we hardly recognized each other. 

We were soon ordered to Annapolis, Md., to Camp Parole, where we found 
about ten thousand men. Here we staid but a short time, yet greatly enjoyed 
ourselves by the camp-fires, in relating and hearing stories of the war, and telling 
of our experiences while in the hands of the rebels. 

Feb. 12, 1863. Orders came for us to join our regiment, and I was thankful, 
desiring to see the boys of the old Third, who I knew would gladly welcome me. 
We went to Baltimore, then to New York, and thence to Hilton Head, S. C. No 
guard accompanied us, and not a man of our regiment nor of the New Hampshire 
squad (Third New Hampshire) though when in New York only a few hours from 
their homes, thought of stretching our orders, but went straight on and gladly re- 
ported for duty. We were only paroled, not exchanged, and for seven weeks were 
at our ease in camp, and began to flesh up. Thanks to Col. Edwin Metcalf, who 
so kindly received us, and said, 'Well, boys, you have had quite a tramp of it; 
and I am glad to see you back again, and to know that you are true to your colors, 
and if I ever have a chance to help you, I will do so.' For most of us he obtained 
-a furlough of forty days, and I went to Rhode Island and had a most delightful 
visit. In due time I returned to Hilton Head, and was in time to open fire on the 
front in the battle of Light-house Inlet, and to go through the fiery months of 
the forever memorable siege of Charleston, helping to fire thousands of pounds 
of shell into that city in which I had been held as a prisoner." 



CHAPTER XIX. 



RETURN TO HILTON HEAD. 

July — September, 1862. 

Time ripens men and measures. 

We still held for several days the south end of James Island. While 
the Stono, like many other streams and inlets along the southern coast, 
revealed specimens of round clams, the sons of Rhode Island, though on 
the verge of a gory battle-field and in the face of a foe, could not restrain 
their inherited impulses to indulge in a regular clam-bake. The bivalves 
were soon steaming and our lips were deplo3'ed for a vigorous charge. 
The heart} T and successful onslaught was made. But ah ! how momentary 
all our carnal bliss. Confederate shell and bullets were mingled with our 
feast. Having speedily appropriated the coveted sweets from their ex- 
teriors, we left the valueless shells to our clamorous and hungry assailants. 
Whether the}- ever discovered the secret and philosophy of a Narragansett 
clam-bake we never learned. 

July 1. Our battalion, in obedience to orders, made ready and took 
ship for Hilton Head, leaving the Stono at ten o'clock in the forenoon, 
and reached Port Royal harbor on the 4th of July, not unpleased to join 
our regimental head-quarters within the entrenchments. Company C re- 
turned to Hilton Head on the Cosmopolitan. 

While the battalion under Major Metcalf was absent and in the battle 
of Secessionville, the other battalion, remaining at Hilton Head in the 
entrenchments, under Major Blanding, as Colonel Brown was in command 
of the post, had its extra experiences of toil and vigilance. Colonel 
Brown, as commander of the post of Hilton Head, filled his place greatly* to 
the satisfaction of General Hunter. During this time, Major Blanding 
engaged in a demonstration on the front, of which we are glad to have 
him speak in his own language : — 

''Entrenchments, Hilton Head, S. C. I 
June 19, 1862. J 

Governor : — 

Dear Sir: I have the honor to inform you that a small affair occurred here 
a few days since, which, though in itself of not much importance, yet in its results 



1862.] 



THIRD R. I. H. ARTILLERY. 



107 



having possible consequence. After the departure of the Charleston expedition 
our forces within the entrenchments, of all arms, did not exceed six hundred 
effective men. Colonel Brown, in command of the post, felt quite anxious for 
the safety of the garrison and the immense amount of stores here, and I, as com- 
mander of the Third Rhode Island here and all the entrenchments, felt no less 
so; therefore, I have been required by the Colonel to visit all the outposts on this 
island once in two or three days. Last week, on one of these reconnoissances, I 
learned that the enemy had been quite active on the main-land at the so-called 
White House. The captain on the outpost furnished me a boat and eight oarsmen 
to visit Pinckney Island, the nearest point to said house, where we have a small 
picket about half a mile distant from the house. 

On landing on Pinckney I discovered that the enemy had increased their force 
there; had also collected a large number of boats, sufficient to cross six or seven 
hundred men at one time ; also had established new pickets, all within two days. 
They were constantly firing on our men and boats from the upper windows of the 
house, which, being three stories, gave them a decided advantage. ..... 

I proposed to the Colonel to take a siege-gun to the nearest point, which is 
Buckingham Ferry, distant one and a half miles, and shell them from there, 
under cover of which fire Lieutenant-Colonel Beaver (Forty-fifth Pennsylvania), 
commanding the outposts, could cross and destroy the boats. The plan was 
adopted. The next morning I took a thirty-pounder Parrott gun, drawn by 
fourteen horses, two wagons for ammunition, forage, and plank to cross poor 
bridges, and a detachment consisting of a lieutenant, two corporals, and twenty- 
two privates, and moved out. Reaching the Ferry too early to begin operations 
on account of the tide, we waited, masked by the trees, till five o'clock, p. m., 
when Colonel Beaver said he was ready. 

I then opened fire. The house was about 2,500 yards distant. The third shell 
was put through the house; so was the fourth and fifth. I then shelled the road 
to Bluffton, and also the woods. Lieutenant-Colonel Beaver embarked his men in 
six boats from two different points — about a hundred and twenty meu. My guns 
covered their crossing. As they reached the main-land I ceased firing. It shortly 
became dark. For an hour and a half I looked anxiously to our objective point,, 
when a glimmer of light was seen, then another, and in a few minutes the White 
House and out-buildings were in flames. The sight was beautiful ; the heavens were 
lit with a lurid glare which could be seen far inland, and the enemy were admon- 
ished in reference to commencing their operations under our very nose. 

Soon we saw blue lights and our boats reappeared, for I had told Colonel Bea- 
ver I should fire on any party approaching without that signal. Waiting till the 
buildings were consumed, we limbered up and reached camp a little after mid- 
night . 

I have the honor to be, etc. , 

C. BLANDING, 
Major Commanding Third Rhode Island Artillery." 

We afterwards knew the site of the White House as Chimney Point, 
where the rebels kept a cavalry picket. 

The day previous to the burning of the White House, Major Blanding 
accompanied Major Curtin ( Penns}~ivania) , officer of the out- 
posts, on a boat reconnoissance. Passing through Skulk Creek into 
Calibogue Sound the}' necessarily came within the range of the rifles of 
the rebel picket-post at the White House. Usually the "gray-backs" 
passed every Yankee boat some specimens of their solid compliments. 



108 



♦ 

SHOT AND SHELL. 



[July, 



On this occasion they were in a peaceful mood. When our boat returned 
and was passing this point, Major Blanding rose, and, touching his cap, 
waved to the rebel officer the military salute. Instantly the Confederate 
dignitary, coming into position, gracefully returned the politeness. This 
suaviter in modo was followed, as we have seen, the next da}' by the 
fortiter in re : etiquette to-day, powder and shell to-morrow ; such is war. 

Captain Lanahan was an old English soldier and had served under 
Havelock, in India. He was every inch a military man, and held high the 
virtue 'of obeying orders. Hearing of the famous Irish regiment, the 
Sixty-ninth New York, he said, " That is the side for me." In New York 
he chanced to meet Governor Sprague, and, learning that there was an 
Irish element in the Third Rhode Island, accepted a Lieutenancy amongst 
us. Colonel Metcalf valued him nighty as a military man. 

: __ The cut we here in- 

sert will be recognized 
- as a view of a lordly 
PJ house in its time when 
UJT it ruled a large planta- 
Klfc tion, at the north of 
our entrenchments, be- 
3'Ond Mitchellville. 
When Lieutenant 

joined us and 

was assigned to Cap- 
tain Lanahan's com- 
pairy, at his first drill, 
with big guns, noticing that the entrenchments were open at the rear, he 
asked Captain Lanahan, " In case of an attack in the rear, what would 
you do, Captain? I see you cannot turn the guns around." Said the Cap- 
tain, " Do you see that little round knob on the end of the gun?" "Yes," 
said the Lieutenant. "Well," added the Captain, " that is the cascable 
knob. You pull that out, stick it in the other end, and fire to the rear." 
The green young officer saw the point, resigned the next day, and left for 
home. 

Captain Lanahan once said to the Adjutant, " Should the Colonel 
order me to shoot you, I would do it. I should not be to blame. The 
Colonel would be responsible." 

While the southern coast had its occasional gales and its numerous 
thunder-tempests, it had its many bland and beautiful days. Usually the 
mornings and evenings were calm and delightful. The sea-breezes prevailed 
at mid-day. With pleasure we recall that rare, rich phenomenon known as 
mirage, that, in the morning — perhaps nine o'clock — on a summer day, 
hung in the horizon off the harbor of Port Royal. It seemed that every 
vessel in the offing, and some, too, that were out of sight seaward, had 




dkayton's mansion. 



1862.] 



THIRD R. I. H. ARTILLERY. 



109 



been lifted into the air, reversed in position, and were sailing in the heav- 
ens. And some of these were even seen in a third upright position, above 
all the rest sailing in the sky. We were almost persuaded that we had left 
the real world for the enchanting realms of fancy. 

Again we were kindly and substantially remembered by the good people 
of Rhode Island, and especially by the citizens of Providence, from whom as 
a gift, there reached us on July 4th, a cargo of ice in charge of Charles E. 
Bailey, Esq. It was wisely appropriated by Colonel Brown to hospital 
uses, reserving to the men on dut} T the right of using what might be neces- 
sary for their health and comfort. 

July 14. Benjamin F. Brayton (Company C) , died of typhoid fever at 
Hilton Head. 

July 22. Heniy Conboy (Company H), died in regimental hospital. 

July 24. George F. Goodwin (Company M) , died of typhoid fever. 

July 25. William Davis (Compan} 7 B) , died of gunshot wound at Hil- 
ton Head hospital. His remains were afterwards sent to his home in Cen- 
tral Falls, R. I. 

July 27. Peter Nailan (Company H), died of gunshot wound at Hil- 
ton Head hospital. 

July, 30. Silas H. Stewart (Company G), died at Fort Pulaski. 

An animating episode of garrison life occurred with our gunners of 
Company G, in Fort Pulaski. Blockade-runners — our anti-slavery English 
cousins — were reluctant to forego their commercial relations with Savan- 
nah ; cotton brought a higher price than conscience. On a dark night, in 
the midst of a severe thunder-storm, a splendid English craft, having on 
board five thousand stand of arms, with ammunition, slipped through the 
fleet and expected to dodge the fort. Our sentinels descried her. The men 
of Company G were instantly at their guns. Corp. R. Linton trained his 
James' rifle and put a shell through the culprit, leaving her helpless to 
fall into the hands of the awakened navy. The prize should have fallen to 
our hands. 

About the 1st of August, there being near a hundred prisoners of war 
on our hands, with no opportunity of exchanging them on our front, and 
some of them being sick, it was determined to send them North. As their 
guard on the transport, the Arago, the following were selected : Major 
Fessenden, of General Hunter's staff, Sergt. C. H. Williams (Company 
A) ; Corp. W. H. Andrews (Company H) ; Corp. A. Wilkinson (Company 
L) , and ten privates of Company M. In reality Sergeant Williams had 
the care of the men and captives. 

The treatment of these prisoners was of the best character. The}' 
were supplied with all the comforts that we would have bestowed upon 
our own soldiers ; the sick received wines and medicines and little luxuries 
from the ship's stores at the expense of our guard. On reaching New 
York the} T were taken by a tng-boat to Fort Columbus, on Governor's 



110 



SHOT AND SHELL. 



[August, 



Island, and turned over to Colonel Loomis, United States Army, com- 
mandant of that post. Major Fessenden here left our men, and, finally, 
after delays, Sergeant Williams returned to Hilton Head on the propeller 
George C. Collins. On the voyage a certain Captain of recruits rudely 
interfered with the Sergeant's command in a way that, after reaching Port 
Royal, cost the Captain his position in the army. 

To experience the sublimities of thunder-storms, one needs to spend 
■a season in the region of the Sea Islands, a sort of disputed ground be- 
tween the sea and the continent, and often sharply disputed between the 
winds of the mountains and the gales of the ocean. These storms come 
at all seasons, but more frequently in the summer and autumn. They are 
indescribable in their strength and majesty. Whether the winds sweep 
down from the hills of the main-land, or in from the sea, over the level, 
forest-clad islands, they come with unchecked fierceness, with great dark 
wings of clouds, with breaking thunder and leaping lightnings. Anon the 
heavens are black ; anon they are a sheet of flashing fires. The waters 
are lashed into angry billows, and the forests bend and wail before the 
strokes of the tempest. In such a storm a man feels small and weak. 
The convulsion, however, is soon past. 

Aug. 10. George W. Mace (Company M), died of tj^phoid fever. 

Aug. 11. George W. Hicks (Compaq- E), died at Hilton Head. 

Aug. 12. William Burroughs (Company F), died of wounds at Hilton 
Head. 

Aug. 18. George W. Jagneth (Company B), died in New York. 

Aug. 28. Patrick Burke (Company I), died at Hilton Head. In the 
same place, on the same day, died Samuel S. Sweet (Company E). 

Sept. 1. Abiel L. Leonard (Company G), died at Providence, R. I. 

Sept. 10. John Lambe (Company E), died at Hilton Head. 

Aug. 4. Greatly to the regret of. our command, Maj. E. Metcalf 
resigned his place amongst us and accepted a Colonel's commission in the 
Eleventh Rhode Island Infantry. However, we shall soon have the 
pleasure of mentioning his return as our Colonel. Meanwhile, on his visit 
to Rhode Island, and during his service in Virginia, through his influence 
with Governor Sprague, he was of great service to. us in adjusting official 
matters. His record with the Eleventh Regiment will appear with the 
history of that command. 

Aug. 7. Maj. Henry T. Sisson closed his services with us by the 
resignation of his commission. He, like several others of our field and 
line, had seen service before we took the front. He was commissioned as 
First Lieutenant and Paymaster of the First Rhode Island Detached 
Militia, April 18, 1861 ; afterwards was chosen Captain of the First Light 
Artillery, Dec. 20, 1861. His relation to us as Major commenced Feb. 5, 
1862. After leaving us he was appointed Colonel of the Fifth Rhode 
Island Heavy Artillery, Nov. 5, 1862, and served till Oct. 5, 1864. , 



1862.] 



THIRD R. I. H. ARTILLERY. 



Ill 



Aug. 25. William Blair (Compairy I), died in United States Hospital, 
on Hilton Head. In the same hospital died Patrick Burke (Compan}' I) , 
on the 28th of August. 

Aug. 29. A detachment of Company G-, from Fort Pulaski, with other 
troops, on the armed transport Starlight, made an advance up May River 
to the town of Bluffton, and indulged in a little dispute with the chivalry 
of that section, putting their opponents to flight by the eloquence of their 
guns. 

Aug. 30. About four o'clock, a. m., Company G, the gunners at 
Pulaski, were ordered in haste to their posts and pieces, as the sentinels 
on the island reported a steamer coming down from Savannah. Our men 
were ready for the visitor. The craft proved to be the steamer Emma, 
attempting, under cover of the night, to run by the fort, but had grounded. 
We opened our iron lips on the friend of England and of the Confederacy, 
and her crew deemed it wise to set her on fire and flee. We, however, 
secured some of her cargo of cotton, to prove that cotton was not King of 
the Yankees. 

Aug. 30. First Lieutenant and Quartermaster William P. Martin, 
commissioned Aug. 21, 1861, a very able and excellent officer, resigned 
his place amongst us and accepted an appointment from President Lincoln 
as Commissary of Subsistence of Volunteers in our Department. He was 
formerly in the Regular Army, where he lost his leg in one of the battles 
of the Mexican war. The colors presented to us at Fort Hamilton by his 
wife gave her also a good record in our esteem. On account of his wooden 
limb, but without the least tinge of disrespect, the worthy and beloved 
Lieutenant was familiarly styled " Old Peg Leg." He is now serving as 
military store-keeper in the Regular Army. 

Sept. 3. On account of impaired and failing health, Maj. Christopher 
Blanding resigned his commission and returned to Rhode Island. His 
services with us at our organization, in our preparations for the field, in 
recruiting for us, and in the labors of the field, while he could endure 
them, secured for him a prominent record. After leaving us he honorably 
served as a Captain of the Hospital Guards, stationed at Lovell General 
Hospital, at Portsmouth Grove, R. I., till the close of the war. 

The post bakery at Hilton Head was under the supervision of Sergt. 
F. A. Wilcoxson (Company L) , whose executive abilities won for him 
warm encomiums. 

Sept. 26. Rev. James Gubby, Chaplain of our command, mustered 
with us Oct. 21, 1861, and who had served us to the best of his abilities, 
now resigned his commission and went north, but, after a period of recup- 
eration, returned to the Department and acted for a time as Chaplain of 
the general hospital on Hilton Head. The regiment remained without a 
chaplain till Jan. 20, 1863, when the author of this history, Rev. F. Deni- 
son, who had previously served with the First Rhode Island Cavalry till 



112 



SHOT AND SHELL. 



[September. 



the severnyy of Virginia campaigns had broken his health, choosing a milder 
climate, was mustered to serve among our heavy guns. 

Having some ambition for music, we endeavored to maintain a regi- 
mental brass band. Man}^ will remember Band-master Marshall. It is 
said that music hath charms. This was hardly true of the kind we had. 
But in justice to the members of the band it should be stated that their 
instruments were of an inferior qualit}- . One evening at dress-parade as 
the band were beating off down the line, a pet dog belonging in camp 
appeared in front of the line, and was attacked with convulsions, and 
almost instantly died. The boys affirmed that the music of the band 
killed him. On another occasion, as the band got the order from the 
Adjutant, "Troop — beat oflf," they struck and started. Instantly 
Colonel Brown, with a loud voice, and a peculiar shake of his head 
denoting displeasure, said, "Adjutant! Stop that band; and have the 
Band-master report to me at once. Down the line to the front and centre 
with a Drum-major's salute." The Band-master reported as ordered. 
The Colonel said, "You have pla3 T ed that tune for six months ; if you 
play it again I will put the whole band in the guard-house." After this 
we had some variations of music, but no inspiring improvements. Finally, 
by a general order from the War Department, relating to all the Federal 
forces, regimental bands were abolished as too expensive and cumbersome 
for the war we were waging. Whatever bands were retained after this 
were voluntarily supported by the regiments the}^ served. Our band was 
mustered out. This left us only our fifers and drummers, with the buglers 
connected with the light battery. In due time we had a fife-major and a 
drum-major ; these organized, the musicians left us into a very spirited 
and proficient drum-corps. For dress-parades, marches, and reviews we 
had, indeed, excellent music, equal, if not superior, to any among the 
troops in the Department. Music, as we shall hereafter mention, had its 
devotees in our command. 



CHAPTER XX. 



EXPEDITIONS ON THE FRONT. 

September — October, 1862. 

La w presses on to victory. 

With the autumn we renewed our aggressive movements. Unpre- 
pared for heavier operations, we indulged in raids and expeditions in the 
bayous and up the rivers. 

Sept. 30. An incursive force, under Colonel Barton, of the Forty- 
eighth New York Infantry, and Captain Gould (Company G) , left Fort 
Pulaski for Bluffton, a settlement on the main-land west of Skulk Creek. 
The troops, consisting of detachments from Compairy G and from the 
Forth-eighth New York, left on two transports — the Starlight, mounting- 
two guns, and the famous Planter, mounting five guns. With pleasant 
weather we steamed our way to our destination, shelling the shores and all 
suspicious spots as we passed. Captain Gould commanded the artillery. 
A part of our men, with some of the Fort} T - eighth, landed at Bluffton, 
finding only four negroes. The " chivalry " of the village had fled. As 
this was equivalent to a surrender of the place, we freely helped our- 
selves to what property thus fell into our hands. A negro reported that 
a bod}' of cavalry was about two miles off prepared to make a stand at 
the salt-works. Two detachments of our Company, with Lieutenant Fiy, 
offered their services to advance and meet the enemy. Some were 
. indignant at being refused. Bluffton was thoroughl} T inspected — some 
would say ransacked and plundered. At one house we found the dinner- 
table spread and abandoned ; of course we made ourselves guests. 
Taking with us, at last, some needed furniture, and a piano to cheer 
us in Fort Pulaski, and all the negroes we could reach, save one, we 
turned back and safety reached the fort in the evening. 

Oct. 1. With nearly the same force we made an expedition up the 
Savannah to Mile Point and into the streams on the west of Calibogue 
Sound. Coming within range of the rice-works on the Savannah, we 
silenced an opposing rebel battery and put to flight five rebel steamers 
that thought to meet us. At least two of our shots took effect in the 
rice-house. The enemy's shots fell short of us. In allusion to our gun- 
ning, Colonel Barton said, " Men, you have done well. I do not ask for 
any better firing." 

8 



114 



SHOT AND SHELL. 



[October, 



Oct. 12. At midnight, seven detachments from Company G-, to work 
the guns, and two companies of the Forty-eighth New York, on board the 
Planter and the George Washington, left Fort Pnlaski to pay another visit 
to BlufFton and its vicinity. From the bow-guns of the boats we shelled 
the shores as we passed on our way, but no Johnnies revealed themselves. 
Reaching the salt-works, some of our force landed in boats and destroyed 
the works, which inflicted quite a loss upon the enemy. Returning, we 
landed at BlufFton and made another requisition on the furniture and loose 
goods left in the town, deeming abandoned property in war lawful pre} r . 
On our return home a few rifle-shots were fired on us from the shores, but 
without effect. The spoils of our expedition added to the comforts of our 
post at Fort Pulaski. 

Oct. 18. The Planter, with our men as cannoniers, and the Forty- 
eighth New York boys as infantry, made a third visit to BlufFton 
to find our faithful negro sp}^ left there on the 13th, and to learn 
of the whereabouts and intentions of the foe. As usual, Colonel Barton 
commanded the light arms, and Captain Gould directed the artillery. 
Shelling the shore, we landed and reconnoitred, and again picked up arti- 
cles of comfort and value. On returning, we encountered the enemy con- 
cealed on the shore about a hundred yards distant from us, firing with 
musketry. The heavy, unexpected attack for a moment threw us into con- 
fusion, as we were all at our ease. We rushed to our cannons, and the 
boys of the Forty-eighth New York seized their rifles. Corporal Fisher 
fired the first gun. Soon our howitzer was in full -play and did splendid 
execution. Colonel Barton and Captain Gould, both with rifles, swelled 
the music of the light and heavy guns. We received two heavy volleys, 
but made more than equal returns. Some of the shots of the rebels cut 
clean through the light work of our steamer. Cries were heard on shore ; 
one voice said, " Don't go and leave me." We were liberal with our shell, 
canister, and bullets. Corp. George Duranne of Company B (Forty- 
eighth New York) , fell mortally wounded, and died a few days after. Mr. 
Smith, mate of the Planter, was wounded in the ankle. Corporal Fisher 
of Company G, of our regiment, was slightly injured in the face. A number 
were cut in their caps and clothing. 

The enemy seemed to muster a full compairy, and only lacked field-pieces 
to have fatally smitten our light-framed steamer. As it was, they failed in 
their design. We returned at night, bringing with us our trusty negro spy, 
who gave us much valuable information. 

Oct. 18. Brig.-Gen. Rufus Saxton issued his General Orders, No. 10, 
for the organization of the First Regiment of South Carolina Volunteers 
(colored). This regiment had already had a quasi existence without suffi- 
cient forms of law for its equipment and pa}', having been enrolled by di- 
rection of General Hunter, following the general instructions first given to 
General Sherman. Now the command took full and regular form. This 
was an era in the war, and in the histoiy of the ex-slaves. Col. T. W. 



1862.] THIRD R. I. H. ARTILLERY. 115 

Higginson, of Massachusetts, finally became associated with this command, 
and gave it reputation b} T his talents and his sword. History is stranger than 
fiction. A son of Massachusetts leads a regiment of ex-slaves — volunteers 
from South Carolina — under the Stars and Stripes, against the slaveholders' 
rebellion. 

Gen. 0. M. Mitchell on succeeding General Hunter in the command of 
the Department, applied himself with great energy and enthusiasm to the 
interests of the troops and of our government. He was alike a scholar and 
a patriot ; an astronomer and a soldier. He personally visited and ad- 
dressed all the troops of the Tenth Corps. His address to our command 
was particularly happy and stirring. In the middle of an earnest and elo- 
quent passage in his speech, where he expressed his discontent at being 
penned up on that island (Hilton Head), and his anxiety to reach the 
main-land, an English soldier in our ranks, kindled with the enthusiasm, 
shouted, " 'Ear! 'ear! 'ear!" A heart}' smile rose from the whole com- 
mand. The General paused in his splendid speech and joined us in the 
generous laugh, w)iich deepened the impression of the occasion. 

Our regiment had its geniuses of ever} 7 sort — men equal to any situa- 
tion. Private C , a recruit in Company — , disappointed in not 

receiving his pay on reaching ship in New York, and again refused after 
arriving at Hilton Head — some one having made him promises without 
authorit}* — concluded to slip his neck from the military yoke. Being no 
dullard in planning, and withal a superior penman, after informing himself 
in respect to the mysteries and faces of red tape, he made out for himself 
discharge papers so complete that with them he passed the sentinels and 
provost guards and took passage on the regular transport for New York, 
and securely reached New England. 

Wonders are eveiy where around us, and these, at present, are explicable 
only in part. Great are the mysteries of alligator life. These we some- 
times studied with partial success. It was not difficult to comprehend why 
the amphibious quadruped knight was in armor dight, since his habitat 
was in the region of sharks, sturgeons, storks, cranes, and ba3~onet-billed 
gallinippers. Life needs to be iron-clad in southern rivers and marshes. 
But wiry his long,. horny tail? Horns and beaks are always in front for de- 
fense and assault. Battering-rams and gun-boats have metal noses and no 
tails. As the alligator is neither fish nor monkey to need a long tail, and 
does not run backwards, why his prodigious, hard, round, caudal extremity? 
Lieut. J. M. Barker, while stationed at Bay Point, came nigh solving this 
problem at his expense. Riding along the creek beach he spied a monster 
of this species, supposed at first to be something else, when, dismounting 
and approaching, he first discovered an ominous winking and slight moving 
of the head. As he drew a few steps nearer, of a sudden the prone, cun- 
ning knight of the marshes, using his fore feet as a pivot, made a fearful 
sweep with his tail at the Lieutenant's legs, and only just failed of readi- 
ng them. 



CHAPTER XXI. 



BATTLE OF POCOTALIGO. 

October, 1862. 

Old schemes of wickedness die hard. 

Early in the autumn of 1862, General Mitchell made his arrangements 
for commencing an active campaign in the Department. One of his first 
objects was to interrupt the railroad communications between Charleston 
and Savannah, to prevent the rebels from rapidly transporting their troops 
from one point to another, and to gain if possible a Federal foothold on the 
main road. One of the objective points selected was Pocotaligo, near the 
bridge crossing the river b} r that name ; a locality about thirty-five miles 
from Hilton Head. 

The command of this expedition was assigned to Brig. -Gen. J. M. Bran- 
nan. His force consisted of a portion of the First Brigade (his own) , 
Col. J. L. Chatfield (Sixth Connecticut), commanding, 2,000 men; a por- 
tion of the Second Brigade, Brig. -Gen. A. H. Terry commanding, 1,410 
men ; a detachment of the Third Rhode Island Heavy Artillery, Col. 
N. W. Brown commanding, 300 men ; a detachment of the Fort}'-eighth 
New York, Col. W. Barton commanding, 300 men ; a detachment of the 
First Massachusetts Cavalry, Capt. L. Richmond commanding, 108 men ; 
a detachment of the New York Volunteer Engineers, Lieut. -Col. J. F. 
Hall commanding, 250 men ; a section of the First United States Artillery, 
Lieut. G. V. Hemy commanding, forty men ; a section of the Third United 
States Artillery, Lieut. E. Gettings commanding, forty men ; total strength, 
4,448 men. 

In Colonel Barton's command were fifty men of Company G, of our regi- 
ment, which added to our detachment from Companies E, K, L, and M, 
gave us 350 men in the expedition. Company M assisted in transporting 
and working three boat-howitzers. 

Oct. 21. The troops on nine gun-boats and a few transports left Hil- 
ton Head in the evening and proceeded up Broad River. ' Our men were 
on the Marblehead, Vixen, and George Washington. 

Oct. 22. At 4.30 o'clock, a. m., the transport Ben Deford and gun- 



1862.] 



THIRD R. I. H. ARTILLERY. 



117 



boat Paul Jones arrived off Pocotaligo Creek. Colonel Barton, with his 
regiment, fifty of the Engineers, and fifty of our regiment, proceeded to 
the Coosahatchie River to destroy the railroad and bridges in that vicinity. 
The other gun-boats and transports did not arrive till 8 o'clock. In- 
fantry and artillery were landed at Mackey's Point — the junction of 
Pocotaligo and Tulitinny Rivers — and advanced in the direction of Poco- 
taligo bridge. The force advanced in the following order : First Brig- 
ade, with section of First United States Artillery; Second Brigade, Col- 
onel Brown commanding, with section of Third United States Artillery, 
and three boat-howitzers lent by the navy, and forty-five men of our regi- 
ment under Captain Comstock. Lieut. C. R. Brayton was our Acting 
Adjutant. 

On advancing about five and a half miles and debouching upon an open, 
rolling country , the rebels opened upon us with a field-batter}^ from a posi- 
tion on the plantation known as Caston's. The First Brigade deployed ; 
the artillery was brought to the front, and the rebels were driven from their 
position. In their retreat, however, the enemy destroyed all the small 
bridges and so retarded our pursuit. As our engineers repaired the bridges 
we advanced. We had proceeded but little more than a mile when a battery 
opened upon us from the Frampton plantation. Here, as the rebels had 
great advantage of position, ensconced in a wood with a swamp in front, 
passable only by a causeway, the bridge of which had been destroyed, we 
had a large number killed and wounded. We met the enemy's shot, shell, 
canister, grape, and musket balls, till the ammunition for our field-pieces fell 
short, and our infantry, though acting with great courage and determination, 
were twice driven back. At last we pressed desperately forward, and the 
enemy precipitately retreated ; and plunging through the swamp — nearly 
to our arm-pits in mud — we pursued them. Fortunately we captured a 
caisson full of ammunition to supply our great need. Delays were occasioned 
by destroyed bridges. 

Pursuing till we reached the rjoint where the Coosahatchie road joins that 
from Mackey's Landing and runs through a swamp, the rebels again opened 
on us with a murderous fire from batteries of field-pieces and siege-guns on 
the further side of the creek. Here, again, our ammunition failed us, and 
we had to send back several miles to Mackey's Point for a supply. Charles 
B. Oakes (Company C), drove back with Hamilton's wagon, post-haste, and 
obtained the supply. 

The rebels now destroyed the Pocotaligo Bridge and took position be- 
yond it in strong earthworks. What we were aiming to do — to cut the 
road — they had done. The battles had now lasted all day, and rebel 
troops from Savannah and Charleston were reaching the point of action. 
With the approach of night we retired, falling back upon Mackey's Point, 
gathering up our dead and wounded. . Our dead we buried. Our wounded 
we bore with us on stretchers extemporized of boughs and blankets. Col- 



118 



SHOT AND SHELL. 



[October, 



onel Barton and his command was only partially successful in the movement 
on the Coosahatchie and was obliged to retire. 

Oct. 23. The entire force fell back in good order to Hilton Head. 
Our casualties in killed, wounded, and missing, amounted to 215 ; those 
of the enemy were reported as 126. 

Our regiment had three wounded : Lieut. J. B. Blanding (G), loss of 
the use of arm and side wound ; Corp. J. N. Bogman (M), mortally ; 
private Josiah W. Thompson (M) . 

Of Corp. J. Nelson Bogman, the only one of our wounded men who 
died of his injuries, Adjutant Gorton thus writes : " The loss of no mem-, 
ber of my old Company (M) , came nearer home to me than that of young 
Bogman, well-known to me before his enlistment, born in Providence, 
R. I., March 22, 1843, hence not twenty years of age; a young man of 
excellent character, with everything in life bright before him ; the pride of 
his family ; the loved of his comrades ; endeared to all who knew him. 
On my last visit to him, a few hours before his death, he greeted me with 
a smile, spoke of the battle and the noble conduct of his associates, 
especially of the bravery of Lieutenant Holbrook (then Sergeant) . The 
exertion brought on a hemorrhage, for he was nigh his end. A favorite 
comrade was constantly at his side to the last, giving every attention that 
friendship and affection could prompt. He died at Hilton Head, Oct. 25, 
1862, calmly, peacefully, bravely, like a true soldier. His remains were 
sent north and now rest in Swan Point Cemetery, Providence, R. I." 

We had some forty men on board the George Washington, that was 
armed with howitzers and Parrott guns, to aid in clearing the river banks 
before our men might be landed. This steamer took a side creek, long, 
deep, and exceedingly narrow — in places hardly wider than the steamer — 
and reached the front a little too late to render efficient aid in the battle- 
strokes. Her critical retreat, necessarily running backwards through the 
winding, swift-streamed, natural canal, was a mixed manoeuvre of maritime 
and military skill. 

In the battle a little drummer-boy of the Forty-eighth New York, on 
board the Planter, attracted the attention of all on the vessel by his supe- 
rior soldierry record. Seeing Lieutenant Blanding sorely wounded and 
disabled from using his weapons, the lad obtained the Lieutenant's pistol, 
and coolly taking the most advantageous position possible, took deliberate 
aim and emptied every barrel in the face of the foe. 

On the Federal side the losses were 43 killed, 258 wounded, and 5 miss- 
ing. The Confederates lost 14 killed, 102 wounded, and 9 missing. They 
were commanded by Gen. W. S. Walker. 

During the action a rebel light batter}^ had evidently expended their 
projectiles, and resorted to all means for a supply. An unusual sound fol- 
lowing some of the missiles that reached us, a German soldier on our side, 
pursuing one of the projectiles, to satisf} 7 his curiosity, found it to be a 



1862.] 



THIRD R. I. H. ARTILLERY. 



119 



monkey-wrench, whereupon, returning with extended hands, he exclaimed, 
Capteen ! Dey is trowing de blacksmith's shop." 

The falling back of the forces under Colonel Barton was covered by the 
gun-boats and the Planter, on the latter of which, when she grounded, 
Corp. J. B. Hudson (Compairy G), with fourteen men, handled his gun 
and expended all his ammunition. For gallant conduct he was soon pro- 
moted to be Sergeant. 

In the vicinity of the Pocotaligo battle Colonel Brown had occasion to 
cross one of the streams. At once Private Drummond (Company C), of- 
fered to bear him over on his shoulders, but in the middle of the stream 
stumbled, and both himself and the Colonel had a thorough bath. Both 
soon reached the bank, when the Colonel simply remarked, "Well, if you 
had told me of the perils of our passage, I would have volunteered to 
transport you, and both of us might have been dry." 

Oct. 29. David D. Harrington (Company A), died at Hilton Head. 

Nov. 1. A detachment of Company G, on the Planter, made a visit 
to Daufuskie Island ; but, not finding the enemy, were unwilling to return 
empty-handed. They therefore conscripted oranges, eggs, fowls, sweet- 
potatoes, and garden vegetables. The negroes remaining on the island 
seized the opportunity to make their exodus. Ver}^ tenderly did our men 
place inscribed head-boards to the graves of Daniel Golden and Michael 
Migan, members of Company G, who had been previously buried there. 

At this time our companies were stationed as follows : Company G, 
Fort Pulaski ; Company B, in battery at Seabrook, on Skulk Creek ; 
Company D, in Fort Seward, at Bay Point ; Companies A, C, E, F, H, I, 
K, L, and M, in the entrenchments at Hilton Head, except a detachment 
of A in gun-boat George Washington on picket through creeks and along , 
the rivers. 

J. Templeton (Company L), died of congestive fever Nov. 4th, at 
Hilton Head. 

Bernard Murray (Company I) , died Nov. 6th. 

Daniel Diggle (Company A), died Nov. 20th, at Port Royal. 

Our monthly return for October reported our aggregate number at 
1,275. Companies A, B, C, H, I, K, L, M, at Hilton Head ; D, E, F, at 
Bay Point ; G, at Fort Pulaski. 



CHAPTER XXII. 



THE YELLOW FEVEE AND DEATHS. 
October — November, 1862. 

" The afflicted warriors come 
To the deep wail of the trumpet 
And beat of muffled drum." 

Near the middle of October, 1862, two cases of yellow fever were 
developed among the men employed in the Quartermaster's Department 
of the Army Corps at Hilton Head, supposed to have been contracted in 
unloading a vessel from a southern port. The plague spread somewhat 
before it was really comprehended. Some sickened and died in a few 
hours. General Mitchell was attacked and died October 30th. 

We cannot refrain from copying some of the lines written by Lieut. - 
Col. G-. Douglas Brewerton on the death of General Mitchell, who was 
eminently a christian man : — 

" The eyes that loved to read the stars 
Have closed upon their light, 
To open, if our faith fail not, 
Where God's own stars are bright. 

His uprig-ht life, his soldier fame, 

Are memories of the past ; 
His hero words, his very name 

Are still a trumpet blast." 

Notwithstanding ever}?- possible sanitary precaution and the utmost skill 
of medical officers, several noble lives were lost by this fearful and uncon- 
querable disease, which raged on Hilton Head during the latter part of Oc- 
tober and the most of November, until the chills of approaching winter 
checked its career. Some regiments, for want of due care, suffered more 
than others. Our command was afflicted in the loss of two excellent 
officers. 

LIEUT. WALTER B. M ANTON. 

He was born in Providence, R. I., Aug. 10, 1832, of wealthy and highly 
honorable parentage, being the son of Joseph and Mary Whipple Manton. 
Belonging to one of the oldest families of Rhode Island, and enjoying the 
best advantages of home societ} 7 and of education in his native city, he 



1862.] 



THIRD R. I. H. ARTILLERY. 



121 



proved himself worthy of his inheritance and his opportunities. Qualified 
by talents and culture, he assisted his father in his wholesale trade in cot- 
ton, and visited different portions of our country. He married Helen A. 
Stevens of Cincinnati, O., and had one son. Though surrounded by the 
most inviting and endearing home attractions, his largeness of thought and 
heart led him to fly to the defense of his country in the hour of her 
agony. 

He was commissioned as First Lieutenant of Carbineers in the First 
Rhode Island Detached Militia, June 27, 1861, and faithfully served in that 
command till the expiration of its three months' service, passing through 
the fier}^ experience of the first battle of Bull Run. He was commissioned 
as Second Lieutenant in the Third Rhode Island Heavy Artillery, Feb. 
11, 1862, and was true to his post of duty to the last. On account of his 
abilit}', skill, and fidelity, he was called to fill the rank of Acting Quarter- 
master of the regiment, and his promotion to be First Lieutenant had been 
ordered b}^ the Governor and his commission was on its way to him, when 
he fell a victim to the fatal scourge — yellow fever — that had entered the 
Department of the South. 

His illness was short. In the quarters of the Surgeon, Dr. Sticknej-, 
he received every possible care that love and skill could dictate ; but the 
malady was incurable. He died Oct. 25, 1862. His funeral services were 
observed at 4 o'clock, p. m., on the following day, and were conducted 
by Rev. H. L. Wayland, Chaplain of the Seventh Connecticut Regiment, 
and son of Dr. Francis Wayland. The officers and most of the men of our 
regiment then at head-quarters, notwithstanding the exposure to the plague, 
attended the solemnities and testified in all possible wa}~s of their esteem 
for their noble comrade. 

He was a gentleman as well as a soldier ; attractive in form and feat- 
ures ; neat in appearance, chaste in language, quiet and unassuming in 
manner, exemplary and upright in habits, exact and punctual in duty, 
affable and affectionate in disposition, and won the high regards of all who 
knew him ; leaving not an enemy, but a host of friends, admirers, and 
mourners. His remains were taken north in the winter following, and, 
after suitable solemnities, from his father's, residence, were laid in Swan 
Point Cemetery, Jan. 31, 1863. 

The price of Liberty, how great ! 
COL. NATHANIEL W. BROWN. 

He was the son of Isaac Brown, and was born in Dighton, Mass., Feb- 
22, 1811. Of excellent native powers, well developed by education and 
strengthened by industry, he became a man of influence and mark even in 
his early years of business. Engaging in manufacturing, he became a 
member of the widely-known firm of Jacob Dunnell & Co. When the 
Rebellion broke upon the land he was among the first to offer himself for 



122 shot and shell. [November, 

the defense of his countiy, and was appointed Captain in the First Rhode 
Island Detached Militia, and manifested his courage and coolness in the 
battle of Bull Run. 

Of his ability and valuable services in command of the Third Regiment 
from the date of his commission, Sept. 17, 1861, to the day of his death, 
it would be difficult to speak in sufficiently appreciative terms. 

He was seized with the virulent fever on the 25th of October, and, de- 
spite the best medical skill and care, died on the 30th, at the age of fifty- 
one years, yet fresh in his strength and honors. During the period of his 
service and command with us, he manifested all the high and soldierly 
qualities of a patriot and officer. He was a wise and thorough disciplina- 
rian, prompt and unwavering in action, and ever watchful and considerate 
of the interests of his regiment. His strict temperance made him conspic- 
uous and esteemed ; and what he practised himself he urged upon all. He 
cherished an exalted sense of true religion and sincere religious observ- 
ances, and was deeply interested in the maintenance of worship near head- 
quarters at the post, and was a regular attendant until stricken down by 
disease. A few weeks before his death he was assigned to duty by Gen- 
eral Mitchell as Chief of Artille^ in the Department, a position for which 
he was well qualified. On account of the nature of his malad}^, his body 
was buried on the day of his death, but with appropriate funeral services. 
The ambulance draped and festooned by the national flag, was drawn by 
six gray horses. Services were conducted by Rev. H. L. Wajdand, of the 
Seventh Connecticut, and Rev. Mr. Hudson, of the New York Volunteer 
Engineers. The Colonel's horse was led in full trappings by his servant in 
the procession. The body was laid in Pine Grove Cemetery outside the 
entrenchments at the south. Here they remained till the following winter, 
when they were carried to Providence, R. I., where, on the 30th of Janu- 
ary, 1863, with becoming military and religious ceremonies, they were laid 
in the North Burying-ground. 

It is proper here to introduce the following official paper : — 

" Head-quarters Third Rhode Island Artillery, ( 
Camp Stephen Olney, Hilton Head, S. C, Nov. 24, 1862. S 
General Orders, No. 35 ; — 

The Colonel Commanding rejoins his regiment with mingled feelings of pride, 
of pleasure, and, alas, of painful regret. He has ever been proud of his connec- 
tion with this command — never more so than now. The bearing and appearance 
of all, the condition of the camp, everything that first attracts the attention of a 
commanding officer, have gratified him far beyond what he could have antici- 
pated. 

But to-day, for the first time, he is fully alive to the loss himself, the regiment, 
and the country has sustained in the death of our late commander. You know lie 
was in a peculiar sense my friend; and I know, as you could not, what a privilege 
it was to enjoy his friendship. Others mourn his departure with a sorrow too 
sacred to be invaded by us; but as our commander — as one it was an honor to 
serve, and who served honorably in every position, we must ever cherish his mem- 



1862.] 



THIRD R. I. H. ARTILLERY. 



123 



ory, and deplore his untimely death. To me it was especially sad, coming as it 
seemed to come, at the very moment when the way was opening to him for what 
he so earnestly desired, a life of activity, and an opportunity for the distinction 
he was so sure to win . 

His successor does not come among you hoping to be to you what he was. But 
I shall try to enforce the lessons he taught you of coolness and subordination ; and 
I have no other ambition to satisfy, if you, comrades, under me, as under him, are 
obedient to authority and resolute in the hour of danger ; cheerful in obedience ; 
cool in courage. I should not be here did I not know the Third will never fail in 
these cardinal virtues of the soldier. I rely upon you. May the hour never come 
when any one of you shall feel he cannot rely upon his commander. 

E. METCALF, 

Colonel Commanding." 

Nov. 9. Henry Welsh (Company H), died at Hilton Head. 

In the month of November, Lient. A. E. Greene with abont two-thirds 
of his company (B) moved to Skulk Creek, about four miles from the en- 
trenchments at Hilton Head, and assisted in constructing, and afterwards 
manned, the earthwork known as Fort Mitchell. Here he remained, receiv- 
ing at times portions of other companies, till Jan. 8, 1863. 

On the 1st of November, 1862, Lieut. G. O. Gorton was appointed 
Adjutant of the command ; and at the same time Lieut. P. G-. Turner wa& 
appointed Quartermaster. And we may here add that Lieutenant Gorton re- 
ceived a commission as Captain on the 2d of November 1863, but refused to 
be mustered, it being the sum of his ambition to serve as Adjutant of 
the command, a post that he gracefully and nobly filled till his term of ser- 
vice expired. And we might add in reference to him, that at the outbreak 
of the Rebellion he volunteered as a private in the First Rhode Island De- 
tached Militia, and bravely met the Confederate fire on the plains of Manas- 
sas. He joined our command as Second Lieutenant Feb. 5, 1862, and was 
advanced to be First Lieutenant Nov. 28, 1862. He was a gentleman 
as well as a soldier in every position he occupied. No regiment ever had 
a more accomplished, accommodating, beloved Adjutant. It was a feast 
to one's eyes to witness the guard-mounting as he conducted it, and look 
upon his work in any place. 

By the way, the Adjutant furnishes the following incident : When Col- 
onel Metcalf took command of the regiment, as he was a strong temperance 
man, — he declined signing officers' requisitions for whiskey, without which 
official approval the cheerful element could not be obtained of the Post 
Commissary. 

As a consequence there was a scarcity of the "critter" in camp. Sev- 
eral officers who were overtaken by thirst and had vainly reconnoitered for 
supplies, were finally told that the Adjutant had a little in a bottle under 
his bunk. The bottle was found and most of its contents were abstracted, 
when the Adjutant put in an appearance and learned of the state^of affairs. 
He thereupon wished his fellow-officers much joy, but honestly explained 



124 



SHOT AND SHELL. 



[November. 



that he had been making a collection of insects for a kinsman who was an 
enthusiast in entomology, and that he had put his bugs and insects in that 
bottle, which he had filled with whiskey obtained at the hospital to preserve 
them. Ah ! What a puckering of lips and griping of bowels. One man 
certainly lost his hold on his "roast beef." The Adjutant adds, "I had 
seen pictures of bottles of whiskey with horrible creatures dancing around 
in them, but here I had a real case." Besides its humor, this incident has a 
value for physicians and psychologists as illustrating the close and mysteri- 
ous relation of the mind to the nervous system. 

In honor of a Rhode Island friend our encampment was styled Camp 
Stephen Olney. 

Nov. 28. Lieut. C. R. Brayton, who left his college course in Brown 
University to join our regiment at its formation, was now commissioned as 
Captain of our light battery (Company C), consequent upon the promotion 
of Captain Day to a Majority, and by his superior tact and energy more than 
kept good the high prestige won by this company. The frequent calls for 
the use of his field-pieces on expeditions along the front gave him rare op- 
portunity to exercise his talents and his courage ; and he proved himself 
equal to every emergenc}^ 

Of Quartermaster Turner a good line of record should be made, as 
there never was a more industrious, exact, reliable Quartermaster in the 
army. But he also carried his qualities with him eveiywhere. He joined 
the regiment as a private Sept. 7, 1861 ; was promoted to be Second 
Lieutenant Oct. 9, 1871, and to be First Lieutenant May 20, 1862. He 
finally rose to be Captain May 1, 1863, and did valiant service on Morris 
Island till his term of enlistment expired. His voice, and face, and manner, 
were the revealers of his warm and cheerful heart. Memory will ever 
closely hold the name of Capt. Peter J. Turner. 



CHAPTER XXIII. 



THANKSGIVING AT FORT PULASKI. 
November, 1862. 

The camp and cabin now rejoice. 

The day of national Thanksgiving — first made national b}^ President 
Lincoln — one of the good, unforeseen results of the war, was joj'fully 
hailed in the arm}- as it was at our homes. For its observance, and to en- 
joy a daj' of relaxation from the stern duties of war, a programme was 
arranged for a " Grand Thanksgiving Fete and Festival, given by the Offi- 
cers of the Garrison of Fort Pulaski, Ga., Nov. 27, 1862." 

Invitations were sent to different parts of the Department, and espe- 
cially to Hilton Head. The day was propitious and cool. Three steamers 
conveying guests from 'Hilton Head reached the fort at noon, and found a 
cheering reception. At the entrance of the fort was an arch with the em- 
blazoned word " Welcome." Over the salty-port was the name "Mitchell," 
suitably draped, and near by the names " Brannan" and " Terry." Over 
the officers' quarters and the doors of the casemates were mottoes, wreaths, 
arches, and stars ; and the walls were festooned. All needful preparations 
had been made for " a feast of reason and a flow of soul." 

The guests were received with a salute from the fort. Then followed 
religious services conducted b}^ Rev. Dr. Strickland, Chaplain of the Forty- 
eighth New York. In the matter of festive exercises, amusements, and 
enjoyments, the following programme had been arranged and printed, and 
was handsomely carried out : — 

" Target Practice. — Three competitors from each Company. Distance 200 
yards. Best string in three shots each. First prize — Gold Medal, valued at $25. 
Second prize — Silver Medal, valued at $15. Third Prize, Bronze Medal, valued 
at $10. 

Rowing Match. — Distance one mile around a stake-boat and return. 'First 
prize — Purse of $10. Second prize — Purse of $5. Third prize — Purse of $2.50. 

Foot Race. — Three times around Terre-plein, and over 12 hurdles, three feet 
high. First prize — Purse of $10. Second prize — Purse of $5. Third prize — 
Purse of $2.50. 

Hurdle Sack Race. — 100 yards and return; over three hurdles 50 yards 



126 



SHOT AND SHELL. 



[November, 



apart and 18 inches high. First prize — Purse of $10. Second prize — Purse 
of $5. 

Wheelbarrow Pace. — Competitors blindfolded, trundling a wheelbarrow 
once across Terre-plein. First prize — Purse of $10. Second prize — Purse of $5. 

Meal Feat. — Exclusively for Contrabands; hands tied behind the back, and to 
seize with the teeth a $5 gold piece dropped in a tub of meal. Six competitors 
to be allowed five minutes each to accomplish the feat. Prize, $5. 

Greased Pole. — Pole to be 15 feet high. Prize, $10. 

"Greased Pig. — To be seized and held by the tail. Three competitors from 
each Company. Prize, pig. 

Burlesque Dress Parade. — Each Company will be allowed to enter an 
equal number of competitors for each prize. 

The usual dress parade of the Garrison will take place at 4.30 p. m. Ball, 
8 p. m. Supper, 12 p. m. Lunch at all hours. The Third Ehode Island Minstrel 
Band will play at intervals during the evening. The Band of the Forty-eighth New 
Tork Regiment will perform at intervals during the day and evening." 

The execution of these parts can be better imagined than described. 
The " sack-race" and " meal-feat" brought forth rapturous applause. The 
terre-plein and ramparts were crowded with spectators. When one of the 
wooly-headed contraband boys raised the $5 from the flour, the cheers rent 
the air. The mock dress-parade was inimitably comic. 




FORT PULASKI. 



The regular dress-parade of the evening was highly creditable. Then 
followed the social boards and the festive music. The officers' table, 
near a hundred feet in length, was on the terre-plein. Company G- had 
a superb table in their quarters — four casemates — lighted with four chan- 
deliers ; while the walls were decorated with wreaths and illuminated with 
mottoes: "Maj.-Gen. Burnside, the R. I. hero;" "Maj.-G-en. George B. 
McClellan (likeness) Commander-in-Chief of U. S. A. ; " "Colonel N. W. 
Brown, — the father of the Regiment — we mourn his loss ; " " 3d R. I. H. 
A. , Co. G, Slocum Avengers ; " " Lieut. Blanding, the star of the R. I. Boys;" 
"Gov. Sprague (seal of the State)." It may be guessed that the spoils of 
Bluffton aided in setting out the tables and furnishing the quarters. The 
piano as well as the minstrel band performed for the " light fantastic toe." 
Oyster suppers, pies, lemonade — if nothing more spirited — kept up the 
evening cheer and rounded out the rare Thank sgiving-da} T . 



1862.] THIRD R. I. H. ARTILLERY. 127 

The new era that had dawned for the colored people was announced 
by General Saxton : — 

"PROCLAMATION, 

"FOR A DAY OF 

PUBLIC THANKSGIVING AND PRAISE. 



I hereby appoint and set apart THURSDAY, THE TWENTY-SEVENTH 
DAY OF NOVEMBER, as a day of public thanksgiving and praise ; and I earn- 
estly recommend to the Superintendents of Plantations, Teachers, and Freedmen 
in this Department, to abstain on that day from their ordinary business, and as- 
semble in their respective places of worship, and render praise and thanksgiving 
to Almighty God for the manifold blessings and mercies he has bestowed upon us 
during the past year; and more especially for the signal success which has attended 
the great experiment for freedom and the rights of oppressed humanity, inaugu- 
rated in the Department of the South. Our work has been crowned with a glori- 
ous success. The hand of God has been in it, and we have faith to believe the re- 
cording angel has placed the record of it in the Book of Life. 

You freedmen and women have never before had such cause for thankfulness. 
Your simple faith has been vindicated. "The Lord has come" to you, and has 
answered your prayers. Your chains are broken. Your days of bondage and 
mourning are ended, and you are forever free. If you cannot yet see your way 
clearly in the future, fear not; put your trust in the Lord, and He will vouchsafe, 
as he did to the Israelites of old, the cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night, 
to guide your footsteps "through the wilderness," to the promised land. 

I therefore advise you all to meet and offer up fitting songs of thanksgiving for 
all these great mercies which you have received, and with them, forget not to 
breathe an earnest prayer for your brethren who are still in bondage. 

Given at Beaufort, S. C, this ninth day of November, in the year of our Lord, 
one thousand eight hundred and sixty-two. 

R. SAXTON, 
Brig. -Gen. and Military Governor." 



CHAPTER XXIV. 



CAMP LIFE AND OUTLOOK. 

December, 1862, — January, 1863. 



With varied thread life's weo is wove. 

Before this we might have stated that our Gamps on the Sea Islands pre- 
sented a peculiar aspect on account of the manner of pitching our tents. 
The fine sand with which the islands are blanketed, when free from water, 
is blown like snow hither and thither, filling the low places and banking be- 
hind every object that breaks the wind. On this account we were obliged 
to have raised floors for our tents, and to seek very level spots for our en- 
campments. Fresh water was obtained by digging a few feet into the sand, 
but much of it had a slightly sulphurous taste. Only a few days during the 
winter were cold enough to call for camp-fires. 

Dec. 1. All the troops at Hilton Head were called out to witness a 
very painful scene that was enacted by necessity according to the usages of 
war — the execution of a hardened criminal. The desperate character was 
William H. Lunt, (true name Albert Lunt) , of Company I, Mnth Maine 
Regiment. He was duly convicted by court-martial, and sentenced to be 
shot for the double crime of desertion and highwa^y robbery. The place of 
execution was beyond the entrenchments on the south side. Twelve rifle- 
men -were his executioners firing at a mark placed on his breast. Eleven 
bullets took effect in him — the twelfth rifle having no bullet — and he fell 
from his kneeling position on his coffin dead on the moment. Desertion on 
the front is a crime that may not be measured. The character of Lunt was 
vile beyond description. 

We had a picket-station under command of Sergt. J. W. Howcroft. 
(Compan} 7 D), about a mile up the island from our garrison at Bay Point. 
The picket head-quarters were in an old fort, and a guard under Corp. A. 
B. Brown was stationed on the beach. Before morning a light was seen 
and a sound of oars was heard. A small blockade-runner, loaded with 
fancy goods, feeling her way into the creeks to run up inside the rebel 
lines had struck a sand-bar. Her captain and two men in a boat were try- 



1862.] 



THIRD R. I. H. ARTILLERY. 



129 



ing to escape. Espied at break-of-clay they were captured by Corporal 
Brown and his guard and handed over to Sergeant Howcroft, and finally 
to Captain Shaw, in Fort Seward, and by him to the authorities at Hilton 
Head. Our boys felt a little proud over their prisoners, beingthe first they 
had captured. The stranded vessel in a few days came ashore. 

Among the noticeable features of the post, within the entrenchments 
at Hilton Head, was the line of sutlers' barracks, popularly designated 
"Robbers' Row," albeit there were some honest, worthy men engaged there in 
trade. These barracks for trade were located, numbered, and regulated in 
their dealings by military orders, and paid taxes for their privileges. Acts 
of extortion were punishable by expulsion from the Department. One or 
two traders incurred this penalty under the firm rule of General Hunter. 
Intoxicating liquors were contraband on the Row with severe consequences. 
And yet it was reported that trunks of goods, with an exterior chamber or 
wall containing the exhilarating fluid, found their way into and out of these 
centres of business. Moreover, great care had to be taken to prevent some 
of the sutlers from taking advantage of the ignorance of the freedmen. 

While our thoughts were absorbed in the strategies and strokes of war, 
our northern eyes were not indifferent to the peculiar flora and fauna of 
this semi-tropical region ; the giant live-oaks festooned with waving Span- 
ish moss (tillandsia) ; the parasite mistletoe with its bright leaves and 
white fruit ; the lofty arrow-shaped cypresses ; the supple jack climbing to 
the tree-tops ; the yam vines (on Tybee) overrunning the chapparal ; the 
oleanders hj the fresh waters ; the lofty reeds in the marshes, and canes 
by the forest pools ; the proud palmettoes and the grand magnolias. 
Around the mouth of the Savannah we studied the strange pelican, the 
huge sea-turtle, the loathsome alligator, the cunning raccoon, the wild hog, 
the turkej'-buzzard, the crane, the curlew, the turtle dove, and the mock- 
ing-bird. In the channels we heard the drum-fish and saw the leaping 
sturgeon. And over island and river soared the bald and gra} r eagles. 

How often camp-life with its varied scenes will return to admonish or 
to amuse us ? We still hear the voices of our favorite bards and gieemen 
— the popular "Port Royal Minstrels" — as they sang for us at Hilton 
Head in the pleasant evenings — Wilcoxson, Hanscom, Bean, Pratt, 
Higgins, Keating, Butcher, and others — sixteen in all. We also recall 
the musician in the drum corps who could never keep step to his own music ; 
and the member of Compam T M, who could never learn to catch the last 
step ; and the member of Company H, whose speech and action so imi- 
tated our first Chaplain that he was almost always called " Gubby ; " and 
the auctioneer in Company M, who was on the alert to pick up cast-off 
clothing and sundry articles whereby he might practise the art and skill of 
the auctioneer for the diversion of the camp. All will remember the man- 
ufacturers of pipes and rings and bird-cages and shell-boxes. Some 
9 



130 



SHOT AND SHELL. 



[December, 



may recollect the pet coons and alligators. One man was an adept in mak- 
ing bird-lime and catching mocking-birds. 

As of old, in every house some vessels were to honor and some to dis- 
honor, so was it with us. One man, to get his bounty, before enlisting had 
colored his hair and reduced the figures of his age ; but, once in the field, 
became gray and very infirm and hung upon the hospital, studying to secure 
a discharge. Our really sick men, and perhaps Dr. Stickney (who 
knew ? ) tried a few practical jokes on him ; certainly he had some shocks 
from a galvanic battery that our boys found in the house of the rebel Dr. 
Fripps and presented to Surgeon Stickney. Another man of like ambition,' 
on reaching the field became very rheumatic, and Was obliged (he thought) 
to use crutches, as his knees lost their flexibility. Greatly to the disgust 
of all, he passed from his company to the hospital several times, till finally , 
on one of our movements, he was sent to the general hospital where he 
finally obtained his discharge ; but, as we finally heard, elsewhere re-enlisted 
and got a second bounty. 

Said Lieut. G. W. Greene : " Being officer of the day in the entrench- 
ments at Hilton Head, late at night I discovered from the right and left of 
the line of company tents, men in shirts and drawers gliding silently, with 
tin cup in hand, into one of the centre company streets. Unobserved I 
slipped in between the lines of tents and, coming opposite the point to 
which the men were resorting, stepped into" the crowd near the object of 
attraction, and found it to be a tub of punch. Just then, some one said, 
' Officer of the day ! ' and away flew the men to their quarters, except the 
master of ceremonies, who stood by his tub. He explained that he was 
appointed simply to mix the tub and deal it out, and solemnly promised 
that there should be no disturbance in the camp. I took him at his word 
and suffered the programme to be carried out, keeping my eyes and ears 
open to the results. The tin cups did not recoil upon the peace of the 
camp." 

Dec. 15. Henry A. Angell (Company L), died at Hilton Head. 

Dec. 24. James Ryan (Company L), died at the same post. 

Also in December, died, George R. Dexter, (Company C). 

Our boys will pleasantly remember that the military authorities at the 
head-quarters of the Department, in recognition of the talents and attain- 
ments of our glee club — Port Royal Minstrels — gave them the use of a 
large hall in the second story of a store-hduse, where on certain evenings 
during the winter they held forth their art, now to the general and field-offi- 
cers, now to the bars and chevrons, and not unfrequently to crowds of 
privates, always greatly to the amusement and edification of the 
audience. 

To Yankees, newspapers are as indispensable as their lungs ; even 
while fighting they must write and print and read. The little, loyal, brave 
sheet entitled The New South, of which Joseph H. Sears was editor and 



1862.] 



THIRD R. I. H. ARTILLERY. 



131 



proprietor, was published at Hilton Head, commencing its career in the 
summer of 1862 and continuing till after the close of the war. It was a 
real auxiliary to our troops. With the opening of 1863 the friends of the 
freedmen started a larger weekly in the city of Beaufort, called The Free 
South, of which J. G-. Thompson was the editor and publisher, ancl J. M. 
Latta & Co. were proprietors. 

Entering any camp and any tent you would find papers, books, ink, pens, 
and writing-paper. A regimental mail-sack was no small institution, and 
the postmaster, chaplain or adjutant, found his office no sinecure. Facts 
would show that the world never presented so intelligent an army as that 
which fought against " the barbarism of slavery " in our civil strife. 

Dec' 26. Lieutenant-Colonel Bucklin resigned. He left us with the 
esteem and best wishes of the command. His record will be cher- 
ished in Rhode Island. As a valued citizen in Pawtucket prior to the war, 
he was the commander of the Pawtucket Light Guard, one of the best 
military organizations of the State. In answer to the first call of the Pres- 
ident for seventy-five thousand men, he volunteered and bore honorably a 
captain's commission in the First Rhode Island Detached Militia and acted 
well his part in the battle of Bull Run. On the full formation of the Third 
Regiment he was appointed Lieutenant-Colonel Oct. 20, 1861, and his 
fellow-townsmen with members of his former command made him a pres- 
ent of a horse and equipments. It may truly be said of him that both at 
home and in the field, he was an upright, true, faithful man. 

What reversals of condition were wrought by the war in Carolinian so- 
ciety? In the winter of 1862-3, we found the large and costly Baptist 
meeting-house in the city of Beaufort on Port Royal Island, in the hands 
of the former slaves of the island, and in constant use by them as their 
place of worship, under the ministry of Rev. Solomon Peck, d. d., the well 
known Baptist minister of Boston, Mass., and the honored Secretary of the 
American Baptist Missionary Union. The manner in which this aristocratic 
place of worship — the leading one in the city — came into the virtual posses- 
sion of the negroes, is worthy of record. 

On the capture of the island by the Federal troops, the whites fled to the 
main-land, taking as far as possible their slaves with them, but inevita- 
bly leaving the larger part of them on the island ; for the slaves were the large 
majority on the island and understood the Union flag as bringing them their 
liberty. All public property, including meeting-houses when abandoned, 
fell into the hands of the War Department. The negroes left upon the 
island, with some that escaped from their masters and returned, desired a 
place of worship. And the majority of them, who were Baptists, never 
having been allowed to form a church among themselves, though they held 
in their cabins meetings for praise and prayer, had their names on the roll 
of the Baptist Church to which their masters belonged ; and their names 
constituted the major number on the church register. There were seven- 



132 



SHOT AND SHELL. 



[January, 



teen hundred names of colored persons on the roll. Under these circum- 
stances, when Dr. Peck came to open schools and preach amongst them, he 
applied to the military authorities for the use of the Baptist house for wor- 
ship. The military officers, while favoring the proposition, had no power 
to pass over property in this way and so referred Dr. Peck to Mr. Lincoln 
as Commander-in-Chief in all such regards. 

On addressing a letter to Mr. Lincoln with a rehearsal of the facts and 
noeds of the colored people, Dr. Peck received from the President a reply 
which in substance stated : (1.) According to Baptist usage, the majority 
of a church represents a church ; (2.) According to the facts recited, the 
majority of the members of the Beaufort Baptist Church are still present on 
the island; (3.) According to testimony furnished, these members are 
loyal to the United States Government ; (4.) Therefore they are entitled 
to the use of their meeting-house, and are hereby authorized to enter and 
use it. 

It was a historic scene, to look upon that great assembly of ex-slaves, 
seated in that lordly church, built by slaveholders, while Dr. Peck, with his 
white locks and tender voice, preached to them the gospel of spiritual and 
civil freedom. " Out of the eater came forth meat ; and out of the strong 
came forth sweetness." 

When President Lincoln's Proclamation of Emancipation reached Beau- 
fort, Dr. Peck read it from the pulpit of this church on the Sabbath. As 
he closed, a gray-haired negro, who was a sort of deacon or leader among 
his people, rose and said, " Massa Peck ! Massa Peck ! I moves fre cheers 
for de proclimason, and fre cheers for Massa Linkum." "But wait," said 
Dr. Peck; "it is the Sabbath; and this is the sanctuary. I honor your 
feeling and thought. Next Thursday, which will be the first day of the 
new year, when the Proclamation goes into effect, we will have a mass 
meeting in the grove, where we will again read the great new law, and 
when you and all the assembly present may give, with all your voice 
and heart ' Three cheers for the Proclamation, and three for Presi- 
dent Lincoln.' " That meeting was held, and those three cheers were given 
with a will ; and the blacks sent a handsome address and resolutions to 
Mr. Lincoln. 

The jubilant mass meeting referred to was authorized and emphasized 
by the following manifesto from General Saxton : — 

" A happy New Year's greeting to the colored people in the 
Department of the South. 

In accordance, as I believe, with the will of our Heavenly Father, and by direc- 
tion of your great and good friend, whose name you are all familiar with, Abra- 
ham Lincoln, President of the United States, and Commander-in-chief of the 
Army and Navy, on the 1st day of January, 1863, you will be declared 'forever 
free.' 

When in the course of human events there comes a day which is destined to be 
an everlasting beacon-light, marking a joyful era in the progress of a nation and 



1863.] 



THIRD R. I. H. ARTILLERY. 



133 



the hopes of a people, it seems to be fitting the occasion that it should not pass 
unnoticed by those whose hopes it comes to brighten and to bless. Such a day to 
you is January 1, 1863. I therefore call upon all the colored people in this Depart- 
ment to assemble on that day at the Head-quarters of the First Regiment of South 
Carolina Volunteers, there to hear the President's Proclamation read, and to in- 
dulge in such other manifestations of joy as may be called forth by the occasion. 
It is your duty to carry this good news to your brethren who are still in slavery. 
Let all your voices, like merry bells, join loud and clear in the grand chorus of 
liberty — 'We are free,' 'We are free,' — until listening, you shall hear its 
echoes coming back from every cabin in the land, — 'We are free,' 'we are 
free.' 

R. SAXTON, 
Brig.-Gen. and Military Governor." 

Col. T. W. Higginson — poet, novelist, and warrior — with his historic 
regiment (First South Carolina Colored Troops), assisted in the New 
Year's Jubilation, and shared the roast-ox feast with intensest zest. By 
the way, his command felt its dignity when Xhey made their first parade 
(Jan. 19), through the streets of Beaufort, escorted by the band of 
the Eighth Maine. Said one of the soldiers, " Ebry step was wuf half a 
dollar." But the color-sergeant, Prince Rivers, best expressed it : 
" When dat band wheel in before us, and march on — my God! I quit 
dis world altogeder." For such stock — however derided by theorists — 
Colonel Higginson had no occasion to blush ; here were the germs, at 
least, of true manhood. 

Jan. 1. Capt. James E. Bailey was commissioned as Major in our 
command, a position which he filled till his term of service expired. He 
was among the first volunteers in Rhode Island at the opening of the 
war, and was chosen Second Lieutenant in the First Rhode Island Detached 
Militia, April 18, 1861, and was promoted to be First Lieutenant in that 
command June 4, 1861. Returning from the field with that regiment 
after the battle of Bull Run, he was commissioned as Captain in the Third 
Regiment, Aug. 27, 1861. His services in camp and field, in the reduc- 
tion of Fort Pulaski and subsequent actions, furnish him a record that he 
proudly recalls. 

A certain lieutenant (nameless here for sufficient reason) , was detailed 
officer of the guard, and duly instructed in reference to his duties, since he. 
had not long been amongst us. He was charged to visit his outposts at 
midnight and see that all things were in military order. On approaching 
the first post the following dialogue ensued : — 

Sentinel. " Who comes there ? " 

Lieutenant. " Faith, I don't know whither I'm officer of the day, grand 
rounds, or. what I am ; but if you've got a pipe, for the love of God give 
us a smoke." This was the same officer who was instructed by Captain 
Lanahan in the use of the cascable knob. His merits excused him from 
protracted service. 

Jan. 10. Maj. Horatio Rogers, Jr., greatly to the regret of the com- 



134 shot and shell. [January. 

mand, resigned his commission amongst us to accept the command of the 
Eleventh Ehode Island Volunteers. He joined us as First Lieutenant Aug. 
27, 1861 ; was advanced as Captain Oct. 8, 1861, and was appointed Major 
Aug. 18, 1862. Brave and capable, he held a high place in our regards, 
and amongst all who knew him in the Tenth Army Corps. His services in 
command of the Eleventh Regiment, and afterwards as Colonel of the 
Second Regiment, will be found in the records of those commands. His 
name, however, will ever brightly stand upon our roll. 

The army gun-boat George Washington, on picket service about this 
time in Skulk Creek, manned by Company A, under Lieutenants J. Mor- 
row, Jr. and George L. Smith, as she passed Chimnej- Point — always an 
exposed place — received a sharp and telling volley from the rebel pickets. 
Our men sprang to their guns to answer with shell. Lucklessly our James ' 
rifle burst in firing. Private Warner was lifted by the explosion to the 
hurricane deck and, of course, seriously shocked. A fragment of the gun 
entered and lodged in the right side of Lieutenant Smith — a serious affair — 
remaining in him for five weeks. Indeed, he has never wholly recovered 
from the wound. 

During the night of Jan. 30, one of the Charleston rams under 
cover of the fog and darkness, passed out of the harbor into our blockad- 
ing fleet without discover}^ till she struck the Mercedita with her iron prow, 
breaking through the side near the stern, at the same time opening her 
heavy gun on her victim. Captain and crew were made prisoners. Next 
the ram attacked the Keystone State and met with stubborn resistance, as 
the alarm and previous firing had called everj* man to his post. The Ke} T - 
stone State gave the wandering sheep nineteen shots. Meanwhile a sloop-of- 
warcame up with her big guns and ended the fray by spherical arguments 
that persuaded the blatant assailant to re-enter the Charlestonian fold. 
The Mercedita was not led captive, and after re-fitting still did us good 
service. 

Jan. 31. Our compatriots of the navy had the satisfaction of bringing 
into Port Ro}^al harbor, as their prize, an elegant English screw steamer, 
the Princess Royal, who had hoped to skulk into Savannah. She was 
loaded with machinery for three propellers, armor for iron-clads, machines 
for making steel-pointed shot, powder, and small arms. John Bull and Jeff 
Davis lost their investment, and our tars replenished their pockets. 



CHAPTER XXV. 



PREPARATIONS FOR HEAVY WORK. 

Febeuaey — Maech, 1863. 



Hope leaves her banner on the watt. 
A careful survey of the work going on at the naval depot near Ba}' 
Point and on board the armed ships in Port Royal harbor, with the many 
consultations held by the general officers of the Department, revealed the 
fact that some large movement of navy and arrny was contemplated. Un- 
usual drilling of troops was required ; and unusual movements of ordnance 
and stores were manifest. The military and naval forces were at this time 
in possession of the coast from Charleston Bar to St. Augustine — a dis- 
tance of two hundred and fifty miles. Further advance was now being 
studied. 

In crossing Port Ro} T al harbor to Bay Point our boats were rowed by 
negroes who were fond of measuring their strokes by songs. Seeing us 
very busy with a pencil, one of them remarked, " 'Spec dat be sent 'way, 
an' put in book." Well, we will put it in : — 

i. 

" O my brudder, want religgun? 
Go down in de lonesome valley. 
Go down in de lonesome valley, 

To meet my Jesus dare. 
Brudder Peter, want religgun ? 
To feed on milk and honey ? 
Go down to de lonesome valley, 

To meet my Jesus dare." 

The remaining stanzas varied only in the first lines. Another song ran 
thus : — 

ii. 

" Good by, my fadder ! sweet water rollin' ; 
Sweet water rollin' — jes from de fountain. 
Good by, my mudder ! sweet water rollin' 
Sweet water rollin'— jes from de fountain." 

The following was a favorite song on account of its flowing measure : — 

in. 

" Jordan's stream is a g-ood old stream, 
Ain't got but one more riber to cross ; 

I want some valiant soldier 

To help me bear de cross " 



136 



SHOT AND SHELL. 



[February, 



Perhaps the quaintest of their compositions was the following : — 

IV. 

" Death be a leetle ting 
Dat go from door to door ; 
He kill some soul, 
An' he wounded some, 
An' he leave some to pray. 
Do Lord, remember me ; 
Do Lord, remember me ; 
Do Lord, remember me ; 
Remember me till de year roll roun' ; 
Do Lord, remember me." 

We are tempted to add a few more specimens : — 

V. - 

" I can't stan de fire, 
No, I can't stan de fire ; 

O roll, Jordan roll, 

O roll, Jordan roll ; 
I can't stan de fire, 
While Jordan roll so sweet. 

VI. 

I ax ole Satan for to leave me alone ; 
Satan hab nottin for to du wid me ; 

Hoi your light, 

Hoi your light, 

Hoi your light, 
On Canaan's shore. 

yn. 

For I'll die on de field ob battle, 

I'll die, I will die, 
And I'll die on de field ; 
For I'll die wid my armor on, 

My armor on, my armor on, 
Fighting for de crown." 

Riding through a grove of giant pines — some of them stretching up 
well nigh a hundred feet — meeting a stalwart " contraband," engaged by 
the Quartermaster-General, felling the trees, we halted and indulged in a 
brief colloquy : — 

Chaplain. "Who are you at work for Caesar?" 

Coesar. " Massa Elwell says I works now for Uncle Sam." 

Chaplain. " Do you. like to work for Uncle Sam better than for your 
old master ?" 

Cwsar. " Yas, sar ; yas.*' 

Chaplain. "Why so?" 

Ccesar. " Now I reaps my own benefit." 

Almost enchanting was a ride through one of these forests, the wind 
soughing among the branches, and the air filled with resinous fragrance,, 
while song-birds added their jubilant melody. 

Though sometimes singular in their phraseology, the colored troops 
were correct in principle. A rebel private (G-ibbs, of Charleston), hav- 
ing been captured ,and brought to Hilton Head, was guarded by a negro 



1863.] 



THIRD R. I. H. ARTILLERY. 



137 



soldier, and seeking a fit moment, brusquely approached his guard and 
authoritatively asked, "Whom do you belong to?" Confused for an in- 
stant, the negro replied, "To de state of G-eddis, on de main ; " but then 
recovering himself, and standing straighter than ever, added, " Look yere ; 
stan off dar ! didn't 3 t ou know I'se put yere to guard you? I belongs to 
Mister Gineral Hunter and nrvself now." 

In addition to his other responsible duties, Colonel Metcalf, for quite a 
period acted as President of a General Court-martial, and also on a board 
for the examination of officers. 

First Sergt. B. F. Davis (Company D), gives an incident of garrison 
life. "While in quarters at Bay Point, we discovered that one of our non- 
commissioned comrades, having a passion for promotion, had confidentially 
told a chum that he thought he could obtain a commission, provided he had 
the influence of a certain Member of Congress with whom he claimed ac- 
quaintance. His confidant suggested an address to the Member of Con- 
gress, mentioning the old friendship, and soliciting the promotion, kindly 
volunteering to do all the necessary writing. The generous offer was 
eagerly accepted. 

" Our clique was notified ; piping at once commenced. As we sent to 
Hilton Head for our mail, the pipe was readily laid. The sergeant in 
charge of the mail was let into the secret and readily lent assistance. The 
epistle to the Member of Congress was finally written, heartily approved 
by our aspirant, put into the mail-bag and taken to Hilton Head (no far- 
ther) . 

" Before the return mail from the north had arrived, we had a fine com- 
mission " fixed up," promoting our friend to a First Lieutenancy in the 
Regular Army. In the largest official envelope we could find, directed 
and marked wisely, it was carefully put by the sergeant into the mail-bag 
at the proper time at the Head. When the looked-for mail-pouch reached 
us, the Captain opened it, and that was one of the first letters to be handed 
out. 

" We gravely repaired to our quarters to read our letters. Soon our 
comrade rushed in, with commission in hand, his eyes protruding, and 
exclaimed : " I've got it boys ! I've got it ; " and, turning to his confiden- 
tial clerk, added, " I'll never forget you ; I'll get you a commission in my 
regiment." 

" We all separately perused his commission, expressed our congratula- 
tions, and offered good suggestions, and especially urged that a fellow 
with such extraordinary luck should be liberal — should put out a little. 
He cheerfully assented. But pay-day was remote, and our " First 
Lieutenant" was, like the rest of us, close-reefed for the wind. He, how- 
ever, had passed his word to do the handsome thing, and, as became an 
officer of the Regular Army, would moisten his new commission. How to 
raise the scrip was the question. Among so many friends the way opened. 



138 



SHOT AND SHELL. 



[February, 



But he added, " I shall need a uniform." So, in a few days, selling his 
clothes and all other effects, he raised the needful for a treat, and pur- 
chased half a dozen or so of brandy (" none of your commissary whiskey 
for this occasion") ; and at night the blow came off; and a hard blow it 
was. Our mess did the occasion justice — good supper with all the 
4 'fixins " — and that night our " First Lieutenant" thought he was a gen- 
eral. Alas ! the next day he was a wiser man ; but he was sick and went 
to the hospital. Soon we formed a Dramatic Company ; and, as he 
aspired also to histrionic honors, we cast him in the performances, and he 
shortly recovered his health, but never mentioned commission again — 
that had been played." 

Feb. 7. Lieut. Charles A. Rossander resigned. This beloved Swedish 
officer was commissioned by Rhode Island as First Lieutenant in the First 
Rhode Island Artillery, Aug. 8, 1861, and joined us as First Lieutenant 
Feb. 14, 1862. He finally returned to his native country. 

Both gallantry and gratitude forbid our neglecting to mention that 
during the winter and spring our camp at Hilton Head was graced and 
cheered by the presence of the wives of some of our officers : Mrs. (Colonel) 
Metcalf, Mrs. (Captain) Day, Mrs. (Captain) Mason, Mrs. (Captain) 
Shaw, Mrs. (Lieutenant) Turner, Mrs. (Lieutenant) Barker, Mrs. 
(Lieutenant) Rawson, Mrs. (Lieutenant) Martin. We still hear their 
songs in our tents, their conversation at our camp-tables, and see their 
fair faces at our religious services. Some of them were not unskillful in 
horsemanship, and bore us company as we rode to the different stations of 
the island. One gracefully rode a little white pony that the Chaplain 
styled " the goat." 

The Chaplain was careful to furnish to the regiment the best possible 
reading matter, various kinds of papers, tracts, and books. Twelve hun- 
dred little Irymn-books, written by himself and printed by Rhode Island 
friends, were distributed as helps for our worship. Five hundred pocket 
Testaments were distributed among those not previous^ supplied. And a 
few hundred Douay Testaments, the gift of a wealthy Catholic merchant in 
New York, were given to such of the command as cherished the faith of the 
Roman Catholic Church. In this matter the Chaplain carried out his 
favorite doctrine of liberty of conscience, and aimed to do to others as he 
would have them do to him. And we ought to add that the Catholic 
members of the regiment alwa} T s held the Chaplain in the highest regard. 

Feb. 23. The position of the companies of the regiment at this time 
were as follows : The head-quarters, with eight companies, within the 
entrenchments on Hilton Head, two of which were in Fort Welles ; two 
companies — one heavy (A) and one light (C) — at Beaufort, A in Bat- 
tery Stevens ; one company (L) in the fort at Bay Point ; one company 
(G-) in Fort Pulaski. The health of the men was excellent ; only twelve 
in the regimental hospital. The southern February was like a northern 
May. New grass and flowers cheered the eye. 



1863.] 



THIRD R. I. H. ARTILLERY. 



139 



Feb. 28. The regiment was reviewed, inspected, and mustered. The 
highest military judges spoke in eulogistic phrase of Colonel Metcalf and 
our command. We were now as always prepared to act as infantry or 
artillery, as occasion might require ; this made our drills and duties doubly 
complicated. But in all we were successsful. For soldierly bearing, neat- 
ness, order in camp and in garrison, proficienc} T in drill, and perfection 
in discipline, it was affirmed that we had no superiors in the Department 
of the South. Some of our sergeants were detailed to act as instructors 
to other commands in the use of heavy guns. Out of eleven hundred and 
sixty men there was no death for nearly three months. 

Heavy firing was distinctly heard in the direction of Savannah. 
The iron-clad monitor Montauk ran by Fort McAllister, below Savannah, 
and threw a fifteen-inch shell into the rebel steamer Nashville, that set her 
on fire and finally occasioned her explosion. 

March 2. Company D, hitherto holding the fort at Bay Point, being- 
relieved, joined the head-quarters within the entrenchments, as prepara- 
tions were being made for some heavy expedition. We had orders to 
practice in embarking and disembarking in surf-boats connected with 
transports in the harbor. At this time there were about twenty-five hun- 
dred freedmen on Hilton Head, and in the Department about eighteen 
thousand. Their preacher on Hilton Head was Abraham Mercherson, 
formerly a slave in Savannah. A revival was in progress amongst them ; 
on the 22d of February Mr. Mercherson baptized about fifty in Port 
Royal harbor. About five hundred of these blacks were employed in the 
government service, loading and unloading transports and aiding, in various 
ways, the Quartermaster's department. And about this time the able- 
bodied " contrabands" were enlisting as soldiers for the Union, a measure 
in which General Hunter took great interest. The first regiment of 
colored troops, First South Carolina, now enrolled about nine hundred ; 
and the Second South Carolina Regiment had four companies. One hun- 
dred and thirty stout, fine-looking, intelligent fellows came from Key 
West, many of them able to read, some of them qualified to serve as 
sergeants. 

March 7. The forces associated with us on Hilton Head at this time 
were the New York Engineers, Third New Hampshire Infantry, Ninth 
Maine Infantry, Seventy-sixth Pennsjivania Infant^, Ninety-seventh 
Pennsylvania Infantry, and One Hundred and Fifteenth New York Infantry. 
In the whole Department of the South, or Tenth Army Corps, there were 
about twenty thousand troops. Of the naval force in the Department, 
Port Royal harbor was the rendezvous ; but the monitors and gun-boats 
were usually moving up and down the coast, now on blockade duty, and 
now making a reconnoisance up a river or bay. Near this time there was 
an ominous concentration and thorough refitting of all the fighting keels. 
Dupont and Hunter had their heads together for some striking affair, 



140 



SHOT AND SHELL. 



[March, 



and both were getting their best forces well in hand for work. At Bean- 
fort, St. Helena, and Hilton Head we counted 160 vessels of all sorts. A 
General Order was issued by General Hunter that plainly contemplated an 
expedition. 

March 12. During the night of this da}^, a raiding party of rebels 
crossed Skulk Creek in boats and captured all the men save one of the 
picket station at Spanish Wells. One of these men belonged to our regi- 
ment, Alfred C. S. Williams, (Company A) , acting with the signal corps. 
It was a sharp movement. Fearing there were spies secreted in the forests 
and jungles of the island, our regiment was twice ordered out with other 
commands to make a minute examination of all hiding-places. For vari- 
ous reasons our pickets exercised double vigilance. From the main-land 
the rebels occasionally sent up balloons to spy out the movements of our 
army and navy. 

In the practice of disembarking by surf-boats from transports, to which 
the troops were now being daily drilled, and forming in line of battle on 
the beach as quickly as possible after leaving the boats, and then returning 
to the transport — the mimic of serious work somewhere — our regiment 
excelled all others, and accomplished the feat in thirty-five minutes. It 
was evident that the military authorities had an eye upon our commander, 
and hence we were not surprised when, on the 27th of March, Colonel Met- 
calf was appointed Acting Chief of Artillery. 

March 15. While a rebel midshipman from the rebel ram Atlanta, and 
five soldiers, were on their way in a boat down the Savannah River to a 
picket-station, the soldiers, having experienced enough of the Confederate 
service, showed the " Middy" a couple of revolvers — - one just detailed from 
his own overcoat pocket — and rowed him and themselves down to Fort 
Pulaski, where the}^ joyously gave themselves up to the care of Uncle Sam. 
Four days before, three deserters from Savannah left the rebel lines, and 
the next morning reached Pulaski in a dug-out, having, as they said, seen 
enough of Dixie. They described the obstructions of piles and huge bas- 
kets and cribs of paving stones in the river below the city. From escaped 
slaves and deserters we kept ourselves quite well informed of all important 
matters on the rebel front. 

March 22. A beautiful, vernal day, and a cheering Sabbath. The 
Chaplain was unusually busy. Having visited the hospital in the morning, 
he was suddenly summoned, with only fifteen minutes' notice, to preach at 
the post head-quarters. The invitation came from General Hunter, who 
was present with his staff, together with a large number of field and line 
officers. He preached from John xii, 24 : " Except a corn of wheat fall 
into the ground and die, it abideth alone ; but if it die, it bringing forth 
much fruit." The General expressed his warmest thanks. At 3 o'clock, 
p. m., the Chaplain officiated at the provost-marshal's and addressed about 
100 prisoners ; and at 4.30 p. m., preached to the regiment from John iii, 
16. Our singing was excellent.- Our Sabbaths were inspiring days. 



1863.] 



THIRD R. I. H. ARTILLERY. 



141 



The Chaplain's correspondence to home papers under date of March 30, 
contains the following paragraph : — 

"We are happy to mention the prevailing harmony and good order, 
and military accomplishments of the command, and among the pleasant- 
est scenes of our camp-life are our Sabbath services. The entire regi- 
ment attends, formed into a hollow square, with field and line officers and 
chaplain and musicians and visitors within the square. The chaplain 
stands and officiates in the centre. Thus we worship in the great temple 
reared hy Divine hands. Nothing need intervene between the Deity and 
our spirits. Our worship is simple, pleasant and profitable. The wives of 
a few of the officers, on a visit here, give a chastening feature and a re- 
minder of home endearments, to the scene and the services. They more- 
over render us happ3 r aid in singing. By them, as by us, these scenes will 
doubtless have a long and fond remembrance ; they will be serene and 
sacred little pages in our life- volume." 

March 30. Quite a gale swept over the coast during the previous 
night, making no little commotion in the harbor, and doing not a little dam- 
age to the small crafts that were unprepared for the sudden and stressful 
visit of winds and waves. The surf-boats with which the army had been 
practicing in Port Ro} T al harbor were nearly all dashed upon the beach and 
more or less injured. Our regiment was called out to re-launch them from 
their high sandy stocks. Colonel Metcalf, now Acting Chief of Artil- 
lery, was engaged in getting his artillery regiments in order for motion. 

March 31. Company F (Captain Mason) had orders to move onboard 
the transports, carrying heavy ordnance for the expedition, to direct in 
handling guns and ammunition. The remainder of the regiment held 
itself ready for marching orders with fifteen days rations. So Hilton Head 
was full of activity and of anxious inquiries. 

On the night of March 31, quite a tragic little incident occurred on 
the margin of our camp, within the entrenchments. One of the guards, 
reaching the extreme of his beat and turning back, was assailed in the 
darkness b}^ some unknown culprit, who struck him down with a club and 
stabbed him, but failed to kill him, leaving him able to raise the alarm. 
Singularly the stabbing instrument struck the sentinel's Testament in his 
breast pocket, and cut entirely through it, and slightly pierced his breast. 
Thus the Word of the Lord was a literal shield. The book was viewed 
with much curiosit}^ through our camp, and was now doublj* prized by the 
faithful soldier. 

About this time piles were driven across Skulk Creek, between Hilton 
Head and Pinckney Island, to prevent rebel raids ; and all the forts 
around us were put in the best of order. Fascines and gabions were also 
prepared for the expedition. 

Among the genial spirits with whom we were brought into pleasing 
acquaintance in the Tenth Army Corps, was Lieut.-Col. C. Gr. Halpine, of 



142 



SHOT AND SHELL. 



[March. 



General Hunter's staff, known widely for his gifted pen, by the nom cle 
plume, " Miles O'Reilly." As a soldier he was prompt and brave. As an 
associate he was sunny and engaging. As a writer he had pith, point, 
and power ; but all naturally lay in the domain of wit and mirth. His 
satire was as shining and keen as his sword. Our camps were cheered by 
his songs and lyrics that appeared at first in periodical forms, and finally 
in a substantial, amusing, instructive volume, entitled " The Life and 
Adventures, Songs, Services, and Speeches of Private Miles O'Reilly." 
We shall be pardoned for copying his lyric that was so effective " in 
reconciling the minds of the soldiery of the old Tenth Army Corps to the 
experiment of the First South Carolina Volunteers " — colored troops : — 

Sambo's Right to be Kilt. 

Air : "The Low-backed Car. ' ' 
" Some tell us 'tis a burnin' shame 
To make the niggers fight, 
And that the thrade of bein' kilt 

Belongs but to the white ; 
But as for me, upon my sowl ! 

So liberal are we here, 
I'll let Sambo be murthered instead of meself 
On every day in the year. 

On every day in the year, boys, 

And every hour in the day, 
The right to be kilt I'll divide wid him, 
And divil a word I'll say.' 

In battle's wild commotion 

I shouldn't at all object 
If Sambo's body should stop a ball 

That was comin' for me direct ; 
And the prod of Southern bagnet, 

So ginerous are we here, 
I'll resign, and let Pambo take it 
On every day in the year. 
On every day in the year, boys, 

And wid none o' your nasty pride, 
All my right in a Southern bagnet prod 
Wid Sambo I'll divide. 

The men who object to Sambo 

Should take his place and fight ; 
And its betther to have a nayger's hue 

Than a liver that's wake and white. 
Though Sambo 's black as the ace of spades, 

His finger a thrigger can pull, 
And his eye runs sthraight on the barrel-sight 
From undher its thatch of wool. 
So hear me all, boys darlin', 

Don't think I'm tippin' you chaff, 
The right to be kilt we'll divide wid him 
And give him the largest half." 

| 



CHAPTER XXVI. 



SECOND ADVANCE ON CHARLESTON. 
April, 1863. 

The armor of the true is tried. 

The blockade of Charleston harbor, from sunken hulks that availed 
nothing, and from our fleet riding outside the bars in the fogs and billows 
of the coast, .was so ineffectual that the rebels laughed it to scorn. At 
night, under skillful pilots, both rebel and English keels entered and 
departed with little risk. A heavy business was carried on in the export 
of cotton and importation of rebel supplies. The store-houses of Charleston 
were full, and by reason of the great prices, the city was never doing a larger 
business. The importance of this port to the Confederacy was beyond 
estimate both at home and abroad. Hence the city and harbor were forti- 
fied in the strongest possible manner. 

1. In the centre of the harbor, three and a half miles from the city and 
equi-distant from Sullivan's and James Islands, was Fort Sumter, a pen- 
tagonal work of two tiers of casemates and parapet, capable of mounting 
135 guns. 2. On Sullivan's Island, Fort Moultrie, mounting guns en barbette, 
and batteries on all its points of exposure. 3. Morris Island had forts and 
batteries at its extremities and centre. 4. On James Island, Fort John- 
son and heavy batteries on all sides. 5. In front of the ctty, Castle Pink- 
ney and Fort Ripley. 6. In the city, guns on the wharves and along the 
shores of Cooper and Ashley Rivers. 7. Iron- clad rams in the mouths of 
the rivers. 8. Batteries in the rear of the city, and to the right and left. 
As the war progressed these works were modified and strengthened, and 
numerous supporting works were added to them. A heavier, harder, mili- 
tary front can scarcely be imagined. Not without reason did the Charles- 
tonians boast of their power of defence. 

This relation of Charleston fr> the life of the Confederacy made it imper- 
ative for the Federal Government to arrest its trade and command its har- 
bor, if it could not at once capture the city. Any blow dealt upon 
this point would tell severely upon the Rebellion. The attempt to reach 
the city with the army operating across James Island, made in June, 1862, 



144 



SHOT AND SHELL. 



[April, 



having been unsuccessful, it was now proposed to enter the harbor with 
iron-clacls and strike all the forts, especially Fort Sumter, and if possible 
smite the city itself ; a heavy and hazardous undertaking. In connection 
with this stroke of the iron-clads under Commodore Dupont, the army 
moved also in transports to capture Folly Island and be ready to cross 
over and capture Morris Island, and enter such forts as might be disabled. 

April 2. About 2 o'clock, p. M.,the order reached our regiment lying 
in the entrenchments to break camp and go on board the transport steamer 
Delaware ; an order that was fulfilled by sunset. Colonel Metcalf was 
Acting Chief of Artillery for the expedition. 

April 3. Our six companies on the Delaware left Port Royal about 
noon. Major Bailey was left in command of the artillery remaining for the 
protection of Hilton Head and the harbor. Great watchfulness and cau- 
tion were now exercised around Port Royal harbor, lest the enemy should 




NEW IRONSIDES AND MONITORS. 



discover our depleted condition and make an attack upon some unsuspect- 
ing point. 

On our way from Hilton Head to Stono Inlet, we had on the steamer a 
number of negroes as servants. These, stowed forward in the boat, fell 
into conversation and discussion relative to the expedition and the deeper 
question of the right and wrong of secession. One of them insisted that 
secession was wrong in principle and impracticable as a policy. We give the 
closing sentences of the debate. The opponent replies: "Ye knows 
nothin' 'bout it. Ye hears what white folks talk, and says what they says ; 
how does yon know 'bout it ? " The affirmer responds : "I does know 'bout 
it. Jes look here. 'Spose I'se Capen of dis boat ; den I'm Capen, and 
nobody else. Ye can't come an' be Capen, too. There can't be two Cap- 
ens to one boat, not by a darn sight." The audience gave him the 
question. 

April 4. During the night the rebels in the direction of Savannah sent 



1863.] 



THIRD R. I. H. ARTILLERY. 



145 



up a balloon with a light attached, possibly as a signal to their forces that 
our fleet was leaving Port Royal, or for observation relative to our move- 
ments. As a counter demonstration, all the vessels in the harbor raised 
all the lights they could — a strategy to indicate strength. Two regiments, 
with detachments from two others and a few cavalrymen, were all that re- 
mained for the defence of Hilton Head. On the forenoon of this 
day our six companies on the Delaware, with other transports, reached 
Stono Inlet, having passed some of the iron-clads and naval vessels at 
Edisto Inlet ; the latter ready to move by signal. About forty transport 
and supply vessels lay in Edisto Inlet to render aid to the expedition. The 
army, on board transports in Stono Inlet, was waiting the result of the 
blow to be struck by the monitors ; hoping to be called to enter Charles- 
ton harbor, or to cross Folly Island and Light-house Inlet to Morris 
Island. 

April 7. The monitors moved over the bar, and boldly up into Charleston 
harbor, to engage the rebel forts. Such thundering of guns defies descrip- 
tion. Wagner, Gregg, Sumter, Moultrie, Battery Bee, Johnson, and other 
rebel works opened their best fire on our little fleet of iron-clads. The 
Ironsides ran up within 500 yards of Fort Sumter to the boom and chain 
obstructions, and was unharmed under the awful hail of iron. The 
double-turretted, turtle-backed monitor Keokuk — which was an experi- 
ment — was worsted in the fight, and turned back and sunk inside of the 
bar the next morning. The Patapsco monitor, lying off the harbor as a 
reserve, blew out her cylinder-head and was powerless. The monitor Wee- 
hauken was in the fiercest of the fra} r . On her the rebels concentrated 
their fire and made the water boil around her ; but she grandly parried the 
strokes and remained unwounded. Our force consisted of the flag-ship 
Ironsides, seven monitors, and the Keokuk. Each of our guns could 
throw only about ten shots an hour. Against us were seven very strong- 
rebel fortifications, some of them using the splendid English steel-pointed 
projectiles; the forts together being able to throw 300 shots per .hour. 
The odds proved too great, for although the monitors were invulnerable 
and unequalled for defensive action, they lacked the requisite aggressive 
power to break the hostile front. Admiral Dupont saw that the effort 
would be unavailing, and withdrew his force. 

While the fight in Charleston harbor was going on the army was making 
ready to advance, holding Folly Island and Coles Island. On the morning 
of April 8th, we were in readiness to cross Light-house Inlet to Morris 
Island. We had with us on transports many heavy guns ; some one and 
some two hundred-pounders, rifled. Our boats were ready and men armed 
for the advance, when it was announced by the Admiral that he had 
resolved to retire. We therefore had to content ourselves with simply 
holding the islands already possessed as a future base of operations. 

The chief officers who led in this thundering, fiery fight, were Admiral 
10 



146 



SHOT AND SHELL. 



[April. 



Dupont, Commodore Turner, Fleet Captain Ramon Rodgers, Dupont's 
Chief of Staff; Commanders John Rogers, and Percival Drayton (of 
South Carolina) ; George W. Rogers, Daniel Ammen, Downs, Fairfax, 
Worden (of Monitor fame in Hampton Roads) ; and Rhind, who, with 
rash gallantly, ran his vessel (the Keokuk), right under the walls of Sum- 
ter. We proudly remember these brave men of the decks. "It is with 
names such as these that the future crown of the Republic will be most 
brightly jewelled." 

About this time Colonel Metcalf formed and presented to the notice of 
General Hunter, who expressed great satisfaction with it, the plan of rais- 
ing a battalion of five or six hundred colored men to become artillerists in 
connection with our regiment, to be officered and trained by us, and to be 
specially devoted to holding posts, g arrisons, and forts, and so allowing 
more of our command to be on the front. But at this time the infantry 
regiments were absorbing all the recruits. 



\ 



CHAPTER XXVII. 

LOSS OF THE GEORGE WASHINGTON. 
April, 1863. 

The mysteries of martyrdom. 

April 8. In anticipation of a possible raid of the enemy from the main- 
land upon Port Royal Island, as the most of our forces were in front of 
Charleston, the naval gun-boat Hale and the armed transport George 
Washington were ordered to make a reconnoissance through the Coosaw 
River separating Port Royal Island on the northeast from the main-land. 
The Washington, besides her working officers and crew, was manned b}^ a 
detachment of our regiment, consisting of Capt. T.B. Briggs (Company A), 
commanding, Lieut. J. B. Blanding (Companj^ I), Lieut. G. L. Smith (Com- 
pany G) and thirty-four privates of Conipanj' A. Early in the afternoon, 
when about four miles east of Port Royal Ferry, the Hale missed the channel 
and grounded. The Washington, coming to her relief, gave her a hawser 
but could not pull her off, and hence lay by her for her defense, till by the 
ebb-tide, she herself was grounded and nightfall came on. During the night 
both boats floated again with the flood-tide, and the Hale, just before 
morning, without giving notice, moved on her way. 

At break of day the Washington, discovering that she had been for- 
saken by her consort, made ready to follow, but had proceeded only a few 
hundred yards when her officer spied a light battery of the enemy hur- 
rying into position on the shore of the main-land, only about twelve hun- 
dred yards distant. The rebels were quick and skillful in using their op- 
portunity. In a moment they opened their well-directed fire. The first 
shot ricochetted and passed over the boat ; the second, a shell, entered 
her starboard- quarter and fired her magazine. The explosion carried 
away all the rear portion of the boat, lifting that part of the deck, guns, 
and rigging into the air, and shattering and disabling the entire vessel. 
Though the engine could still feebly move, the boat had now no rudder, 
and water began to make upon the xurnace. The bow-gun had no range 
on the assailants, and now no ammunition remained. At this desperate 
point Captain Briggs ordered a flag of truce hoisted and so far surrendered 
the boat and men. This step was not relished on board, and the engine 
was immediately reversed, and the boat was backed till she grounded on 



148 



SHOT AND SHELL . 



[April, 



the Port Royal side of the channel. At this moment all on board, save 
Mr. Martin, the second mate, Lieutenant Blanding, D. A. Sisson, A. F. 
Randall, and all the wounded artille^men, leaped overboard, and, by swim- 
ming, wading, and using the row-boat, made their way through water, mud, 
and marshes to the shore of the island ; while the rebels, perceiving that the 
flag of truce had been disregarded, reopened their fire on the fleeing party. 

Lieutenant Blanding, Mr. Martin, and our two brave men, D. A. Sisson 
and A. F. Randall, heroically stood by the wounded men and the crippled 
boat, resolved to do or die in performing their whole duty, but soon per- 
ceiving that the shattered vessel was on fire, called to the row-boat on 
shore to rescue the wounded. Amid the screeching missiles a black man, 




LITE OAKS AT POET ROYAL. 



by order of Lieutenant Smith, brought the row-boat to their relief. Into 
this were carefully put the wounded that were living. Then our men 
looked to their safety. Lieutenant Blanding, still suffering in his unhealed, 
shrivelled, helpless left arm, shot in action in the preceding October, at 
Pocotaligo, b} T desperate effort of paddling and pushing, urged the boat- 
load of wounded men beyond the reach of the flames, towards the shore ; 
but, finally, in crossing a small inner channel, he could not lift himself 
again into the boat, and was obliged to drop his hold and strike out with 
his one arm to save his life ; and, though he went down twice, he at last 
reached land. The boat-load of wounded men drifted up the river and 
was captured by the enemy, but was finally returned to our lines under a 
flag of truce. The casualties were as follows : — 



1863.] 



THIRD R. I. H. ARTILLERY. 



149 



(Dorp. Lewis Warner, shocked by the explosion ; Lyman R. Smith, 
missing, no doubt killed instantly by the explosion ; John Fallon, mangled 
by the explosion, died in a few moments ; William Greenhalgh, wounded 
by the explosion, died in the row-boat, buried by the enemy ; John Hyde, 
missing, died probably before reaching the shore ; George W. Smith, con- 
tusion of skull and scalded, died in hospital, at Beaufort, April 12th ; 
Edward J. Vallely, shocked by explosion, foot amputated, hip and arm 
injured, died. Corp. Albert A. Smith, both legs broken, foot amputated ; 
George Fay, shocked by explosion ; George W. Stoddard, foot and arm 
burned ; George L. Eldridge, foot and face burned ; Augustus Blanchard, 
one leg broken ; Henry Butler, injured in head and foot ; Reuben P. 
Wright, sprained limb. 

The Washington burned to the water's edge and sunk. Our officers and 
men lost their arms and effects ; some escaped but half-clad. The colored 
soldiers, (First South Carolina Volunteers), picketing the island, rendered 
prompt and efficient aid. Lieut. E. A. Waterhouse, (Company A), from 
the company head-quarters near Beaufort, hastened with ambulances to 
bear our wounded and dying to the hospitals. The intrepidity and fidelity 
of Lieutenant Blanding received great praise. The funeral of George W. 
Smith was conducted by the Chaplain at Beaufort, April 13th, and the brave 
artilleryman was buried with full military honors in the soldiers' cemetery, 
in the suburbs of the city. Edward J. Vallely died of his injuries on the 
morning of April 15th. , 

The bridge connecting the island of Port Royal with the main-land was 
a causeway, save where it crossed the narrow channel, which part had been 
utterly destroyed. To the end of this causeway from the main would come 
the rebel pickets, while to the other end from the island would go our pick- 
ets, both within a stone's throw of each other. Sometimes the men would 
converse together. Some extravagances of speech however led to a mili- 
tary order forbidding conversation. 

We must here recall one of our wounded men, Albert A. Smith. After 
Lieutenant-Colonel Blanding left us, he was in command of the Guards at 
Lovell General Hospital, Portsmouth Grove, R. I., and witnessed an oper- 
ation in one of the wards. He says : "The patient had lost one leg in the 
field, and now the other was being taken off above the knee, and he was 
under the influence of anaesthetics. The operation was successful ; and 
the soldier looking up with a smile, extended his hand and said 'How do 
you do Colonel Blanding ? ' I accepted the hearty grasp but did not recog- 
nize the sufferer. ' What ! ' said he, ' don't you remember A. A. Smith, 
one of your old boys? I enlisted under you. I belong to the Third Rhode 
Island, as good a regiment as ever stood on the front. I wish I was with 
them again ; but I suppose they wouldn't want such a short-legged fellow 
as I now am ; I shouldn't hardly come up to the standard.' One of the 
surgeons asked, ' How are } r ou now?' He answered, ' All right ; you can 



150 



SHOT AND SHELL. 



[April. 



drive a four-horse wagon through here now ; it won't disturb me.' The 
Surgeon allowed that he was the most cheerful man in the ward, and that 
his indomitable pluck wonderfully helped surgery, and good nursing at the 
hospital." 

Hospitals are essential accompaniments of armies ; and we had excel- 
lent ones in the Department of the South. Those in Beaufort were large, 
aiiy, private residences, that had been abandoned by their rebel owners, 
and were well supplied with stores, medical officers, and attendants. The 
General Hospital of the Department, at Hilton Head, was built after the 
most approved model, and was under the direction of Dr. J. E. Semple. 
Here men received the best of care and treatment. We noticed with 
pleasure the devoted superintendent of nurses, Mrs. Ruth Russell, and 
learned that her labors were highly prized by surgeons and patients. She 
also had capable, kind, and assiduous aids, whose ministries deserve en- 
during record. In their gentle spheres they were heroines, who had left 
homes of quiet and affluence to aid the patriot army in its sacrificing 
work. Say not that the hearts and hands of women were incapable of 
noble deeds in the hour of our country's struggle. 

Before leaving the record of the loss of the Washington, it is but 
proper to observe that after the flag of surrender had been raised, it should 
have been sacredly regarded on both sides. We were at fault on our side 
for not so observing it. And here we may. mention that, since the close of 
the war, one of our comrades met, in the chrv of Savannah, the Captain of 
the rebel battery that destroyed the Washington, who recognized him, and 
half seriously — in order to revive the fact that the flag was violated — 
said to him : ' ' You are nry prisoner." 

We are here tempted to record a little militaiy anecdote. While Lieuten- 
ant Waterhouse was on diriy near Beaufort, having occasion to ride across the 
island in a carriage, he invited a staff-officer of the Regulars to ride with 
him. Meeting a private of a colored regiment who paid the required 
salute, the Lieutenant property returned it, when the following dialogue 
ensued : — 

Regular. ' ' Do you salute niggers ? " 

Lieutenant. " He is a soldier and saluted me." 

Regular. " I don't care for the regulations. I swear I won't salute a 
nigger." 

Lieutenant. " I obey the regulations and return a soldier's salute." 

Regular. " Curse such regulations. I'll never salute a nigger ; and I 
don't think much of any one that will." 

Lieutenant. (CoolLy reining in his horse). "You can get out and 
walk, sir." 

The snob tried his shoe-leather on the sand, a wiser man, we may hope, 
and with a higher idea both of the Lieutenant and the polite colored 
soldier. 



CHAPTER XXVIII. 



WATCHING AND WAITING. 

April — May, 1863. 

The truth has slow development. 

April 11. We returned from Stono Inlet on the Delaware to Hilton 
Head, and lay in the harbor all night. 

April 12. The regiment landed and established head-quarters again 
within the entrenchments. 

Company F remained on board the transports in charge of heavy ord- 
nance. Shortly Companies D and I were ordered up the coast ; I to Edisto, 
andD to Stono, to man batteries. 

Affairs in the Department were now for a time unusually quiet. The 
naval force consisted of the blockading squadron off Charleston, the moni- 
tors and gun-boats in the inlets protecting transports and land stations, and 
the Wabash, Vermont and gun-boats guarding Port Royal. The entire 
naval and transport fleet must have numbered near one hundred and fifty 
keels. Naval cruisers, such as the Susquehanna, occasionally dropped 
into the harbor. Nearly every week some foreign buccaneer steamer, 
attempting to run the blockade, was halted by Federal guns and towed 
into port to receive the summary judgment of Uncle Sam. Some of these 
prizes were beautiful and valuable. The Navy and Army, the Regulars 
and Volunteers — bating some trifling jealousies inseparable from human na- 
ture — worked together harmoniously and heartily. Dupont was able and 
discreet. Hunter was active and enthusiastic. 

The heavy rebel rams at Charleston and Savannah remained dumb and 
inactive, evidently impressed with the fate of Tatnall's fleet. The rebels 
were steadily losing power and hope along the coast. 

The work of the Tenth Army Corps was not small or unimportant, even 
when not engaged in battle. To hold the coast for hundreds of miles, 
blocking large harbors and numerous inlets and creeks, manning forts, 
entrenchments and batteries, cutting off rebel supplies, precluding the 
launching of a Confederate fleet, and holding large rebel forces on the 
coast from re-enforcing other important insurgent armies, — all this was at 
least tying the enemy's hands and subtracting from his power. We held 



152 



SHOT AND SHELL. 



[April, 



an insurgent force much larger than our own in a service that availed them 
nothing and was steadily and largely consuming their resources. In fact, 
the exhaustion of the Confederacy was a part of the providential order of 
the war. Had McClellan succeeded in capturing Richmond-in 1862, and 
had the Dupont-Hunter stroke laid Charleston in ashes, the Confederacy 
would still have been strong and determined. Like madmen the rebels 
would have taken other lines of defence. 

April 30. Capt. GustafW. Knorring, a gallant Swedish officer, who 
joined us with his worthy fellow-countryman, as a First Lieutenant, 
Feb. 14, 1862, and was promoted to be a Captain Dec. 26, 1862, now 
resigned his place in our command to acccept a captaincy in the Third 
Rhode Island Cavalry. 

By General Orders, No. 35, General Hunter announced Colonel 
Metcalf as Chief of Artillery and Ordnance of the Tenth Army Corps. 
It was gratifying to us thus to have the abilities of our commander recog- 
nized ; nor did his many general duties withdraw his care and attention 
from his worthy regiment. 

General Hunter was a staunch friend to the colored people. Perhaps 
it was largely due to his favor that Robert Smalls, who ran the steamer 
Planter out of Charleston into our lines, was finally appointed captain of 
that boat, and performed for us much and efficient service. On one oc- 
casion Captain Smalls came into Port Royal very early in the morning 
with his steamer, and hastened ashore to report. Not finding the General 
up, he visited a restaurant ; and, on taking a seat and calling for a plate of 
oysters, was answered by the restaurant keeper, 44 1 don't allow niggers in 
here ; you can sit outside and I will bring you the 0} 7 sters." Captain 
Smalls politely left the premises and walked down to General Hunter's 
head-quarters. On meeting the General he mentioned his difficulty .in 
getting a breakfast. Instantly the General called his orderly and said to 

him : " Go to Mr. 's shop and give him my compliments, and tell 

him he has twenty-four hours in which to remove himself and his effects 
from this Department. The man who keeps a restaurant that is too good 
for my captains is not needed here." 

The love and patriotic devotion of kin and friends that applauded us 
on entering the field did not forsake us when we were out of sight and 
enveloped in the smoke of the conflict. Many an eye was moist in the 
camp and in the hospital as tokens of remembrance and affection from 
home-circles were received in the form of letter and box containing small 
but precious comforts. The Chaplain, in behalf of the camp, and the 
Surgeon, in behalf of the hospital, had occasions for writing letters of 
thanks to persons and to societies. Special letters of acknowledgment 
were sent to The Ladies Volunteer Relief Association, and the Third and 
Fifth Ward Associations, of Providence, R. I. The fair hands that gave 
us our colors were ever warm and open to support us. 



1863.] 



THIRD R. I. H. ARTILLERY. 



* 153 



All sorts make the world, and an army is a part of the world ; hence we 
had our variety of characters. One man, whose name is too valuable to 
be conspicuously written, was so sorely afflicted with deafness — doubtless 
occasioned by the voices of the guns — that we were obliged to excuse him 
from service on the front. He was, however, detailed for hospital duty, 
where, by dint of loud orders from the surgeon, he was of some use, till he 
was finally overtaken with disease in a mysterious and complicated way, 
and our compassionate surgeon signed his application for a discharge. 
Strange to say when he got on board the steamer on his way home his 
hearing was perfectly restored. The sea air from the north was exceed- 
ingly bracing. 

We have mentioned that Company D was sent up to Folly Island to aid 
in the new steps there contemplated. Our men landed at Stono Inlet 
under Lieut. A. R. Rawson and were divided into three detachments ; 
one under Lieutenant Rawson commanding an earthwork at the Inlet ; 
another, under Lieut. J. M. Barker, on the west side of the island near the 
middle, at the White House where General Vogdes had his head-quarters ; 
the third, under Lieut. E. F. Curtis, to man the earthwork near the north end 
of the island at what was known as the Lookout. 

Relative to General Vodges' strong fortification at the south end of Folly 
Island, after a few weeks, when General Gillmore came to the front to fix 
upon his plans of attack and advance, he said to Vogdes : " When you are 
all ready, do you intend to swing the island around ? You have fortified 
the wrong end." 

Surg. Horatio G. Stickney, who entered the field with us — having been 
appointed Assistant Surgeon Aug. 27, 1861, and commissioned Surgeon 
Feb. 22, 1862 — while highly respected and valued by the regiment, felt 
compelled, from considerations of health and his family affairs, to resign 
his post. His talented and thoroughly-educated Assistant, George S. 
Burton, m. d., succeeded him as Surgeon and served till the expiration of 
the regiment's term of service. Asst. Surg. J. W. Grosvenor now came to 
fill a position for which his excellent abilities fitted him, and finally had the 
care not only of our head-quarters at Hilton Head, but of the troops sta- 
tioned on the south end of the island. His daily ride of ten miles to the 
Lawton Plantation, at a later date, was often shared by the Chaplain, who 
visited the freedmen's school and distributed books and papers among the 
children. 

A peculiar affection of the eyes was experienced hy a number of our 
men, disqualifying them for night service. We had about thirty cases in 
Company K, and nearly as many in several other companies. The matter 
was not an epidemic, nor the assertion of malingery. Nor was it confined 
to any locality. We learned that it appeared in the Army of the Potomac 
as well as in the Department of the South, hence it was not owing to the 
heats and sands of the coast. An aged army Surgeon, Dr. Stipp, then 



154 * 



SHOT AND SHELL. 



[June. 



medical inspector of the Tenth Army Corps, stated that he found this im- 
paired vision in various portions of the Federal army. On account of this 
partial eclipse of sight, not a few of the best of soldiers were discharged 
from the service. It was believed that the ailment had its real seat in the 
stomach ; } T et uo medical works mentioned it. An old soldier in our regi- 
ment, who had seen foreign service, informed us that raw liver — say two 
ounces — eaten at supper-time would effect a cure. We found that one or 
two prescriptions of raw beef liver completed removed the difficulty. 

And here, at the request of Lieut. W. S. Bailey, we ma} r relate the 
incident that our bo} r s first made public, and have often told to illustrate one 
of the ways of dealing with transgressors. As in other well-regulated 
camps, it was a law in ours that no lights should be burning in the tents 
after taps, and gambling at all times should be reckoned a misdemeanor. 
Near 11 o'clock, one night, the Chaplain discovered a light in a tent at the 
extremity of a compan}^ street, that he feared indicated sudden and serious 
sickness or casualty. But on approaching the tent he discovered that a 
number of the bo} T s were absorbed with their cards and a pile of scrip 
slowly increasing to fall to the hands of the man holding the trump-card. 
The oft-repeated call was : " Who'll go it? Who'll go it?" The Chaplain, 
recollecting his side-pocket, in which he always carried a spare Testament, 
drew out the sacred book, and throwing back the tent-fly glided in with a 
smile, and said : " I'll go it bo}'s," laying the New Testament on the pile 
of scrip ; then instantly retired. ^ Out went the candles, and awaj T fled the 
boys. It is said that this move killed the passion for gambling. 

June 1. Lieut. Frederick A. Wilcoxson was appointed to succeed 
Captain Turner as Quartermaster of the regiment. The Lieutenant was 
one of the most deserving men in the command. He volunteered as a pri- 
vate Dec. 20, 1861 ; was appointed Sergeant Feb. 14, 1862 ; was chosen 
Quartermaster-Sergeant Dec. 1, 1862 ; was commissioned as Second Lieu- 
tenant May 1, 1863, and was promoted to be First Lieutenant Feb. 3, 1864. 
Though the position of Quartermaster in such a command as ours, — large, 
and detached to distant points in varied services — was a difficult and com- 
plicated one, he filled it successfully and admirably, having the praise of 
our regiment and the high compliments of all the officers with whom he was 
associated ii^the Department. 



CHAPTER XXIX. 



EXPEDITION UP THE COMBAHEE. 

June, 1863. 

In turn, oppression is oppressed. 

We will first give Colonel Montgomery's brief official report to Maj.- 
Gen. D. Hunter, dated Beaufort, S. C, June 3, 1863 : — ■ 

" General: — 

I have the honor to report that, in obedience to your orders, I proceeded up the 
Combahee Kiver, on the steamers John Adams and Harriet A. Weed, with a 
detachment of three hundred (300) men of the Second South Carolina Volunteer 
Regiment and a section of the Third Rhode Island Battery, commanded by 
Captain Brayton. We ascended the river some twenty-five (25) miles, destroyed 
a pontoon bridge, together with a large amount of cotton, rice, and other property, 
and brought away seven hundred and twenty-seven slaves, and some fine horses. 
We had some sharp shirmishes, in all of which the men behaved splendidly. I 

hope to report more fully in a day or two 

JAMES MONTGOMERY." 

The expedition left Beaufort on the evening of June 1st. Though 
delayed by the grounding of a transport at St. Helena Sound and the 
transference of troops, the force arrived at the mouth of the Combahee 
before 3 o'clock the next morning. Undiscovered by the enemy, Colonel 
Montgomer3 r ascended the river and landed a portion of his troops, under 
Captain Thompson, at Field's Point, which is twenty-five miles up the 
river. The rebel pickets fled without firing a gun, and Captain Thompson 
occupied the deserted breast- works. The rest of the expedition proceeded 
up the river to Tar Bluff, two miles above Field's Point. Here Captain 
Carver's companjr landed and occupied the deserted rifle-pits of the enemy. 
The remaining two steamers moved on two miles above to Nichols' planta- 
tion. Here the Weed remained, but the Adams pushed on to the Com- 
bahee Ferry. 

Across this ferry was a fine pontoon bridge, built by the rebels, and as 
the Adams came in sight of it a troop of rebel cavalry was seen crossing it 
in great haste. A few shells from the Adams by Captain Bray ton's guns 
greatly accelerated their pace. Immediately on reaching the bridge it 



156 



SHOT AND SHELL. 



[June, 



was taken up and destroyed. The Adams was prevented from proceeding 
farther by the line of piles across the river. 

While the bridge was being destroyed Captain Ho3 T t's company 
advanced on the right bank of the river, destroying property and confiscat- 
ing slaves. At Green Pond they found the rebel Colonel Heyward's 
splendid plantation, with its large and elegantly-furnished mansion. Hey- 
ward escaped, but could take nothing with him ; even his sabre and horse 
were captured. Here followed the destruction of crops, rice-mills, store- 
houses, and large and well filled cotton warehouses. Finally fell the 
mansion house and out-buildings before the victorious flames. On their 
return, Captain Hoyt's men were pressed hard by rebel cavalry and sharp- 
shooters, but they gave harder blows than they received. It was mortify- 
ing to the chivalry to be outdone by colored troops. Captain Hoyt held 
his ground till the Adams came to his relief. 

While Captain Hoyt was carrying out his part of the programme on the 
right bank of the river, Captain Brayton, with his section of Company C, 
of our regiment, proceeded up the left bank and was equally successful in 
executing "special orders" and making "details" of Confederate prop- 
erty. The rebel pickets, instead of falling back to a large force of theirs 
on the Ashapoo River, hurried in hot haste to all the plantations, giving 
notice of the coming of "the Abolition army." Captain Brayton mowed 
his swath broad and smooth, destroying gathered and growing crops of 
cotton and rice, and laying residences, mills, and storehouses in ashes. He 
also captured horses, mules, and cattle. 

The river banks were well lined with slaves of all ages and descriptions, 
hailing our troops with joy, and praying to be taken on board the steamers. 
We could only take a fraction of them — less than 800. "This was the 
saddest sight of the whole expedition — so many souls within sight of free- 
dom, and yet unable to attain it." 

Colonel Montgomery was thoroughly persuaded that everything in 
South Corolina had been built upon wrong principles, and hence required a 
complete reconstruction. He proposed to clear the ground by fire and 
sword — the agents first invoked by the rebels against Sumter — and so 
make ready for the new order of things. 

The good reputation already acquired by Capt. C. R. Brayton (Com- 
pany C) , as a soldier and artillery officer in the Department, may be in- 
ferred from the fact that, of the two small forts for the protection of the 
city of Beaufort, on Port Royal Island, one of them was named Battery 
Brayton. The other was named Battery Taylor. 

June 12. General Hunter retired from the command of the Depart- 
ment, and was succeeded by Gen. Q. A. Gillmore. We knew that this 
change meant engineering and heavy striking somewhere on the front, nor 
were we long in doubt as to the movement designed. 

June 17. Our brave co-workers of the iron decks won another hand- 



1863.1 * THIRD R. I. H. ARTILLERY. 157 

some victory. The Clyde-built iron steamer Fingal, refitted in Savannah 
as a ram by the ladies of Georgia, and renamed the Atlanta, having a crew 
of 163 men and an armament of four heavy Brooke guns (superior English 
pieces), concluded to descend Wilmington Creek into Ossabaw Sound " to 
hook on to the Yankee monitor and tow her up to Savannah." Two steam- 
ers filled with Georgians accompanied the monster to witness the feat. On 
came the rebel Goliath. Our David — the gritty little Weehauken — un- 
banked her fires, slipped her cable, gently moved up toward the foe, holding 
her breath under the rebel shot till within effective range, and then opened 
her eloquent turret. The first fifteen-inch shell carried away the ram's 
pilot-house and killed the pilot. Another blow knocked forty men pros- 
trate. In a few minutes the braggart was a captive, and the witnessing 
rebel steamers were scudding for Savannah. 

We have alluded to Battery Brayton near the city of Beaufort ; this 
mounted two twenty-pounder howitzers and one ten-pounder Parrott, on 
which Sergt. CD. Holmes and a comrade, by special detail from Company 
A, drilled the men of the Seventy-fourth Pennsjlvania — "Postage 
Stamps" — drafted men and Dutchmen, and for success in giving in- 
struction, Holmes, on the 12th of May, received from two of the compa- 
nies, a present of a fine silver watch, when speeches were in order on both 
sides. " A huge thing," said one. Our men were good instructors in the 
handling of heavy guns. 

We shall leave it to the members of Company A to tell the stories of 
their expeditions in canoes to Lady's Island after plums, and how one 
party got capsized. One man's journal says, " So much for Sabbath- 
breaking ; take warning, ye ungodly ones." 



CHAPTER XXX. 



DESTRUCTION OF DARIEN. 
June, 1863. 

Where madness dwells, the flames are lit. 

Early in June an expedition was fitted out and moved for the mouth of 
the Altamaha River, Ga., having for its objective point the town of Darien. 
The force was under Colonel Montgomery, consisting of the most of his 
regiment, eight companies of the Fifty-fourth Massachusetts ; Capt. Bray- 
ton's Light Battery, (Company C) , of our regiment ; the gunboat, Paul 
Jones, (Captain Rhind), with the armed transport John Adams ; the Sen- 
tinel, the Nellie Baker, and the Harriet A. Weed. From Captain Bray- 
ton's diary we copy the mention of his movements : — 

" June 5. Embarked at Beaufort on board the John Adams with Lieu- 
tenant Sabin and the right section of the battery, and went to Hilton Head. 

" June 6. Went to sea at 6 a. m. Off Dobny at sunset in a thunder- 
storm. Pilot did not know where he was ; cruised about all night to find 
the buoy at the entrance to St. Simon's. 

" June 7. Entered St. Simon's in the morning and landed on the island 
in the forenoon ; throwing the horses overboard to swim to the shore. 

" June 8. Went on expedition up to Brunswick and up to Railroad 
Bridge. Saw but few rebels. Shelled the woods along the bank of the river. 

" June 11. It was intended to make the attack on Darien in the morn- 
ing but various matters delayed the stroke till about 1 o'clock in the after- 
noon. Captain Holden and Lieutenant Sabin shelled the woods along the 
river in the vicinity of the town, and also the town itself, in a terrific man- 
ner, and the troops disembarked without opposition. The citizens had 
nearly all left, and a messenger had been dispatched for assistance. About 
five miles distant the rebels had a cavalry force of some strength. Our 
troops were marched into the town, sentries posted and all the exposed 
parts guarded. Whatever was needed by our army, since all had been 
abandoned by the rebels, was secured for use. The town was then con- 
signed to flames and the smoke of its destruction carried to the heavens. 

"The Harriet A. Weed, under Major Corwin, ran up the river and over- 
hauled a schooner laden with cotton about four miles above Darien, the 
whole valued at about $30,000. The party also destroyed a mill and what 
cotton could not be brought away. The report of this expedition said that 



1863.] 



THIRD R. I. H. ARTILLERY. 



159 



our Company C, ' did gallant service.' The expedition was quick, deci- 
sive, terrible, and without loss. 

" Our Company, while on St. Simon's Island, encamped on the planta- 
tion belonging to the former actress, Fanny Kemble Butler, a large and 
rich estate, very fine house, and large and elegant gardens. Here grew 
the grandest of magnolias, now in full bloom. Aside from the fortunes 
of war, we inferred from reports, that Fanny Kemble was not made happy 
by her southern alliance. Taken as a whole, her life forms no common 
tragedy, and the scenes enacted in this, her southern home, would furnish 
matter for moralist or poet. 

' ' JTune 24. Disembarked the battery at St. Helena Island at Port Royal." 

For effective reconnoissance and raiding, we had no troops in the Tenth 
Army Corps that could equal Colonel Montgomery's colored regiment. The 
Colonel had been schooled in bitter warfare among the border ruffians in 
Kansas, and was prepared to strike the slave power with all his might. 
The story of his experiences and sufferings, and the barbarities inflicted 
upon his family, would afford material for a volume of tragedy. Now that 
the Colonel had the opportunity of embodying his convictions against 
slaveholders and of meeting them with the arms they had openly chal- 
lenged, he proved himself in earnest, and infused his soldierly spirit into 
his troops. In South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida, he left the proofs of 
his resolution. How strangely the investments of the slave power in 
Kansas returned with interest upon the homes of the slaveholders. 

Strange memories will linger on the beautiful, fertile island of St. 
Helena, around the churches, the Jenkins plantations, and the old cabins 
of the once numerous slaves. Nearly two hundred years old was the 
little, antique, aristocratic, thinly-attended, seldom-opened Episcopal 
Church — seemingly as cold as its stone floor. The large Baptist Church, 
near the centre of the island, plain, modern in style, held crowds of warm- 
souled blacks. Dr. Jenkins, the wealthiest man on the island, had here 
two plantations, two on Port Royal Island, one on the main-land, and 
owned, in himself and by right of his wife, so many slaves that he con- 
fessed he was unable to identify them. The semi-tropical luxuriance and 
beauty of St. Helena will be specially recalled by the members of Company 
C, who, with other troops of the Department, returning from exhausting 
expeditions, here sought rest and recuperation. 

We claimed some regimental interest in the First South Carolina 
Volunteers, since Sergt. Frank M. Gould (Company G), became, July 1, 
1863, a Second Lieutenant in that command. 

July 5. Manton B. Mowry (Company B), died at Hilton Head. 
Our sick always had the best of care under our surgeon and his assistants. 
Many will remember the ministries shared in the large, old house within 
the entrenchments used as our regimental hospital. When necessity 
required, our sick were transferred to the General Hospital, where they 
received every possible attention. 



CHAPTER XXXI. 



BATTLE OF LIGHT-HOUSE INLET. 
July, 1863. 

New northern lights on southern isles. 

While the head-quarters of our regiment still remained at Hilton Head, 
detachments of the command had continued on Folly Island since the 
April expedition, engaged, with other troops, in holding the position and 
making ready for the new advance contemplated. Some new detachments 
were now sent to that point. Of necessity we could not throw all our force 
to this point of the front. All old positions must be firmly held. The 
central and vital post of Hilton Head was put in charge of our commander, 
while a large part of our best gunners were with their pieces on Folly 
Island. 

" Head-quarters United States Forces, ) 
Hilton Head, Port Royal, S. C, July 6, 1863. \ 

General Orders, No. 57 : — 

I. Pursuant to orders from Department Head-quarters, the undersigned as- 
sumes command of this post. 

II. First Lieut. Geo. O. Gorton, Third Rhode Island Artillery, is announced 
as Post Adjutant, to whom all official communications must be addressed. 

EDWIN METCALF, 

Colonel Third Rhode Island Artillery, Commanding Post. 

But from his post head-quarters our commander, with his vigilant eye 
and wise direction, virtually guided our movements and cared for our 
interests as we moved up to our new theatre of battle. 

From Capt. C. R. Brayton's pocket-memorandum we clip a few entries, 
tracing his spirited command : — 

" July 4. Embarked Company C with battery on the Philadelphia, 
and horses on the Cossack, for Stono Inlet. Arrived off the bar ; ordered 
to wait. 

" July 5. Disembarked the battery on Folly Island. 
" July 6. Moved up the beach. 

" July 7. Sent a section to the front, on north end of Folly Island. 
" July 8. Posted a section of rifles on the front. 



1863.] THIRD R. I. H. ARTILLERY. 161 

i 

"July 9. Moved another section to the front. Lieutenant Morrow 
with right, Lieutenant Seaver with left, Lieutenant Sabin in reserve." 

Here, on the north end of Folly Island, they met our other companies, 
B, D, I, and M, under Major Bailey, close by their guns, as } r et masked 
by the chaparral and sand-ridges, ready and waiting for the approaching 
battle. 

Before giving an account of the impending action, it is necessary to 
turn back a little to describe the general movement. 

As we come to Morris Island, now a memorable and historic spot, a 
most remarkable battle-field, and the theatre of the most prodigious artil- 
lery practice and operations known in the world, we may say a word of its 




SIEGE OF CHARLESTON. 



form and magnitude. It lies on the south of Charleston harbor between 
the ocean and James Island from which it is separated by a creek and im- 
passable marshes. It is shaped much like an ox-shoe, the toe pointing 
towards Charleston between Fort Sumter and Fort Johnson on James 
Island. At the south end, on Light-house Inlet — if we include the hummock 
called Black Island — it is about half a mile wide. On its curving sea-face 
it measures from Light-house Inlet to Cummhigs' Point (the toe of the ox- 
shoe) about three and a half miles. This sea-face is a sand-ridge quite 
high at the south end and low at the north end. The inland side consists 
of marshes and veins of creeks. The solid portion of the island is nar- 
rowest in the centre a little south of Fort Wagner, where it is only a few 
n 



162 



SHOT AND SHELL. 



[July, 



yards in width. On the inland side are a few sand-hummocks. The rebels 
had destroyed the large light-house at the south end, and nearly demolished 
the Beacon House or old hospital building in the centre of the island, and 
had also cut down what palmettos and other trees once graced the protected 
portions of the island. The rebel fortifications were Fort Gregg on Cum- 
mings' Point, Fort Wagner on the sea-face at the mouth of the harbor, and 
earthworks or batteries on the sand-hills at the south end commanding 
Light-house Inlet, and the entrance of the south channel. The general 
bearing of the island is northeast and southwest. 

Gen. Q. A. Gillmore had now succeeded General Hunter in command 
of the army, and Commodore Dahlgren had followed Commodore Dupont 
in command of the navy. 

Since April our forces on Folly Island had been clearing spots for camps 
and preparing roads to the north end. In early summer concealed batteries 
were erected to command Light-house Inlet and reach the rebel batteries 
on the south end of Morris Island. Behind the sand-banks and thick 
bushes, General Gillmore finally planted a concealed line of works ready to 
be opened when needed. He also had his light artillery ready to assist. 
Lastly , he arranged a portion of his troops in boats in the creeks inside of 
Folly Island, out of sight of the enemy to wait the opening fire of his bat- 
teries, and the guns of the nary . 

July 10. At four in the morning our guns in conjunction with the nav}^ 
opened fire on the rebel works across the Inlet. The surprise was complete. 
The enemy's reveille was sounding. Some officers and men were killed while 
standing at roll-call, and at once all available forces flew to their guns. 

The Inlet was narrow and deep. Nearly down to it came the large 
sand-bluffs on which bristled and now blazed the rebel guns. On the right 
of these batteries, and confronting our left, were handsome rifle-pits in the 
keeping of a good force of sharp-shooters. To the ordinary calculation, 
Morris Island seemed secure. 

As the north end of Folly Island was low and level, our batteries were 
at a little distance from the Inlet where rose a small sand-ridge, and the 
dense jungle answered for their concealment. Naturally the enemy's front 
was much more advantageous than ours, the several sand-hills being quite 
nigh. But Commodore Dahlgren had arranged to aid us by dealing a 
-flanking fire on the rebel forts from the Catskill, Montauk, Nahant, and 
Weehauken, and to assist us with boat-howitzers in the creeks. 

Writes Captain Shaw : ' ' The whole operation of preparing the bat- 
teries, getting the guns in position, conveying the ammunition to the mag- 
azines — 200 rounds to a gun — was a delicate one, as all the work was 
performed in close proximity to the enemy, who could at any time, had he 
known what was going on, have stopped the work by opening his powerful 
batteries upon us. We were concealed from view by a low range of 
hillocks ; and a narrow inlet separated us from the * rebs ' — so narrow that 



1863.] 



THIRD R. I. H. ARTILLERY. 



163 



the opposing pickets could and did, at one time, converse with ease. All 
the work was done at night, the ' rebs ' contenting themselves with shelling 
the opposite shore pretty thoroughly during the day and occasion all} 7 at 
night." . . . "A large share of the work of preparation fell upon the 
battalion of the Third Rhode Island, and the officers in charge of the work- 
ing parties will all bear witness to the zeal displayed by the men. 
Night after night the fatigue parties continued their labor, marching 
after dark from their camp at the upper end of the island, and re- 
turning before the break of day. During the working hours communica- 
tion was kept up in whispers, and the use of a loud tone of voice to stir up 
delinquents was denied the officers in charge." . . . "But the officer 
on fatigue duty always found the Rhode Island part of his detail present or 
accounted for." 

The boys would hardly forgive us if we should omit to mention the 
story of the canned food in Company D. On the night of the 8th, it then 
being expected that the battle would open on the next morning, our boys 
were short of rations and very hungr} r , so much so that Sergts. B. F. 
Davis, J. Newcombe, and E. W. Hamilton concluded for themselves to 
make an effort for supplies ; one of them saying: "We maybe killed, 
to-morrow, but let us have one square meal, anyhow." Davis and New- 
combe mustered $15, and Hamilton, being clean in pocket, agreed, for his 
part, to go after the supplies — almost five miles — to a sutler's at Stono 
Inlet, and so in the night run the guard and run the island. He found the 
sutler had nothing of his stock left but some canned provisions ; but this 
just met his idea, so in the dark he invested the $15 in cans, and again 
measured the island — five miles — and appeared to his comrades with a 
face as smiling as a harvest moon, saying: " I've got something good." 
With keen appetites they broached the treasures, when, zounds ! the}' 
found nothing but old, tough, spoiled asparagus. In their dismay, they 
said : " Well, let us buckle up another hole in our belts and try to get some 
sleep." When the battle opened they put the cans into the guns and passed 
them over to the enemy, but how the rebels relished them we never 
heard. 

Till the morning of the 10th, the chaparrel in front of our batteries had 
been left untouched. Before daylight the pioneers cut it in front of our em- 
brasures, and the gunners stood by their pieces. General Seymour coming 
into the battery of Parrott rifles on the right, said : " Captain Strahan, can 
you yet see the guns on the sand-hills across the Inlet?" "Not distinctly 
enough for aim," said the Captain. Added the General : " It will never do 
to let them have the first shot. Clear the sand from your embrasures." In 
a few moments he again asked : " Captain, can you see the guns?" " I 
can ; " answered the Captain. " Blaze away ! " cried the General. And 
the flames leaped from all our forty-seven guns. The refrain of thunder 
came in from the navy. To this music Strong led the charge with his gal- 
lant brigade. Here was the wrinkled brow of grim war. 



164 



SHOT AND SHELL. 
BATTERIES ON NORTH END OF FOLLY ISLAND. 



[July, 



No. guns, 



Kind of guns. 



3-inch 
20-pdr. 
30-pdr. 
10-inch 

3-inch 
10-pdr. 
30-pdr. 
10-inch 

3-inch 

8-inch 



field rifles 

siege Parrotts . . 

Parrotts 

siege mortars. . . 

field rifles 

field Parrotts 

Parrotts 

siege mortars.. . 
Wiard field rifles 
siege mortars. . . 



How manned. 



Co. C, 3d K. I., Capt. C. K. Bray ton. 

Co. I, 3d R. I., Capt. C. G. Strahan. 

1st U. S. Art. & Co. C, 3d R. I., Lt. Sabin. 

Co. B, 3d R. L, Capt. A. E. Greene. 

1st U. S. Artillery. 

3d U. S. Artillery, Capt. Hamilton. 

Co. D, 3d R. I., Capt. R. G. Shaw. 

Co. M, 3d R. I., Capt. J. J. Comstock, Jr. 

3d N. Y. Artillery. 

Co. M, 3d R. I., Lieut. H. Holbrook. 



Batteries I and K on the extreme left, were under Maj. J. E. Bailey. 
All were under the command of General SeyriVour. The entire action 
occupied about two hours. 

Our artillery and the guns of the nav}^ severely marred the rebel front 
and covered the advance of our troops. At about 6.30 a. m. General 
Strong gave orders to advance the boats and land. A portion of the Seventh 
Connecticut, under Capt. V. B. Chamberlain, first reached the shore, and, 
dashing on with a shout, drove the rebels from their rifle-pits. General 
Strong gallantly led his forces upon the remaining rifle-pits. Then the 
whole force, Seventy-sixth Pennsylvania, Sixth and Seventh Connecticut, 
Third New Hampshire, a portion of the Forty-eighth New York, Ninth 
Maine, and sharp-shooters, charged upon the batteries on the sand-bluffs, 
captured them in a few minutes, and pursued the escaping foe toward the 
north end of the island. The}^ captured about a hundred men, eight guns, 
two mortars, tents, camp-equipage, and a large amount of stores and 
ammunition. Some of the rebel gunners were killed while loading their 
pieces. After our troops reached the Beacon House, in the pursuit, the 
guns of Wagner and Gregg halted them. Thus we gained possession 
of more than three-fourths of the island. Several Confederate flags 
were captured, one of which was inscribed " Pocotaligo." Beauregard 
reported his loss at 292 killed, wounded, and missing, including several 
officers. The officers were Captains Cheves and Haskell and Lieutenant 
Bee. The Federal loss was eighteen killed, ninety-six wounded, and two 
taken prisoners ; total, 116. This was remarkable, as we were the exposed 
party ; but we surprised the enemy, and did our work with astonishing 
dexterity. But few bolder strokes were ever undertaken, and no one was 
ever better executed. The assailing batteries were commenced on the 
15th of June, and constructed with so much silence and concealment as 
not to be detected, though the rebels shelled the front to call out some 
responses. The English blockade-running steamer Ruby went ashore at 
the mouth of the inlet, but we let her alone so as not to awaken suspicion. 

To facilitate the battle of Light-house Inlet, by drawing off as many as 
possible of the rebel troops from Morris Island, or at least preventing their 



1863.] 



THIRD R. I. H. ARTILLERY. 



165 



re-enforcement, by order of General Gillmore, Gen. A. H. Terry, with 
above one thousand troops, on the night of July 9th, and in the morning of 
the 10th, made a strong feint on James Island in the direction of Seces- 
sionville. We had two officers on his staff, Capt. Geo. Metcalf and Capt. 
P. J. Turner. Teriy struck the enemy's front and held him to business 
till the object of the demonstration was accomplished. He continued to 
harrass the rebel forces on James Island till July 16th. Among his oppo- 
nents was the brigade of the famous " Stonewall" Jackson, sent down from 
Kichmond. 

In the battle we had two men horribly wounded while loading a piece, 
by its premature discharge, each losing both arms, and one having also his 
face and hody fearfully mangled. 

Can you see our men at their guns ? Do you know the manual of the 
pieces? Were ever guns worked with truer aim or more rapidity? Look 
on those powder-grimed faces and hands. See the sweat streaming from 
those brows. See the clouds of smoke rolling up from the mouths of our 
guns. Notice the heavy sprays of sand raised by our shots among the 
enemy's rifle-pits. There you have a picture that ma}^ show you the kind 
of work that our boys knew how to do. 

The accident to which we have referred occurred from a split in the 
vent of one of the thirty-pounders worked by Company D, in Battery G. 
The wounded men were Thomas B. Tanner, who also lost his sight, and 
Samuel C. Shippey, who died of his wounds, Aug. 21st. None of our men 
were injured by the enemy's shots. 

As one of the embrasures in Battery G became obstructed, the gunner 
called for some one to mount the parapet and cut the obstruction out, that 
the gun might maintain its range on the rebel bluffs. As the rebels were 
now doing their best, and shot and shell were raining around us, the duty 
required was hazardous. The last man that we had supposed was the one 
who volunteered, for he was so short-sighted that he could not see a man 
five feet from him in a starlight night. Leonidas Franklin sprang into the 
exposed embrasure and quickly had it clear ; and our men gave him the 
cheers he deserved. By the way, he was always a faithful man. 

As General Strong's infantry were landing on Morris Island, Capt. 
C. B. Brayton (Company C) , springing upon the breast-work in front of 
his men, asked who would volunteer to break down the embrasure and 
take a gun out further to the front to give the enemy warmer shot. 
Instantly Sergt. James Monroe, James Capper, Abraham Harris, and 
John Stewart answered to the call, and down went the breast-work and 
out went the gun on the extreme right, and was advanced to a clear, open 
space in front. Here the fire of the piece was resumed with rapidity and 
precision. Such promptness and courage were suitably cheered. From 
that hour General Gillmore had his eye on Captain Brayton as his man for 
brave and effective work. " The Third Rhode Island received great credit 



166 



SHOT AND SHELL. 



[July. 



for the able manner in which the artillery was handled on that occasion ; 
particularly from the officer in charge, General Seymour, who expressed 
his admiration in the most unqualified terms." 

Following the successful battle, General Gillmore promulgated the 
subjoined order : — 

" Head-quarters, Department of the South, ) 
Morris Island, S. C, July 13, 1863. f 

General Orders : — 

The Brigadier-General Commanding presents his congratulations and thanks 
to the army which he has the honor to command, for the brilliant victory of the 
10th inst., which places them three miles nearer the rebel stronghold, Sumter, 
the first among all our country's defences against foreign foes, that felt the 
polluting tread of traitors. 

Our labors, however, are not over, they are just begun; and while the spires 
of the rebel city still loom up in the dim distance, hardships and privations must 
be endured, before our hopes and expectations can find their full fruition in 
victory. 

Let us emulate the heroic deeds of our brothers-in-arms at Gettysburg and 
Vicksburg, and add to that roll of fame which will be transmitted to a grateful 
posterity. 

Special thanks are due to Brig.-Gen. I. Yogdes and his command, for the untir- 
ing energy and patient endurance displayed by them in erecting the batteries on 
Folly Island, under almost every conceivable disadvantage; and to Brig.-Gen. 
Geo. C. Strong and his command, for the heroic gallantry with which they car- 
ried the enemy's batteries on Morris Island; this being the first instance during 
the war in which powerful batteries have been successfully assaulted by a column 
disembarked under a heavy artillery fire. 

Q. A. GILLMORE, 

Brigadier-General Commanding." 



CHAPTER XXXII. 



ASSAULTS UPON FORT WAGNER. 

July, 1863. 

The gold is in the furnace cast. 

Gillmore and Dahlgren had undertaken a great task — the breaking 
of the strongest front of the Confederacy ; the humbling of the proudest 
city and port of the rebels. They had gained a footing for their work, 
but the north end of Morris Island was fortified with consummate ability, 
and held by heavy forces. Aware that every hour of delay was an advan- 
tage for the enemy, General Gillmore planned an immediate assault upon 
Fort Wagner, hoping to carry the work by storm, and then press on to the 
capture of Fort Gregg. He well knew that this would be bloody work. 

July 11. Soon after midnight, General Strong advanced to assault 
Wagner. His forces were the Seventh Connecticut, Seventy-sixth Penn- 
sylvania, and Ninth Maine to lead the attack ; the remainder held as 
reserves. About two hundred yards from the work he met the rebel pickets 
and drove them in. The Seventh Connecticut, under Lieut. -Col. D. C. Rod- 
man, pressed on with cheers and dashed to the crest of the work. The Sev- 
enty-sixth Pennsjdvania charged upon another point. The Ninth Maine 
followed as bravely. All faced grape, canister, and musketry ; an awful 
storm of lead and iron. Their ranks were mown down. Lieutenant-Col- 
onel Rodman's leg was shattered. The Seventy-sixth Pennsylvania lost 
five officers and 130 men. The Seventh Connecticut had 103 killed, 
wounded, and missing ; the Ninth Maine, thirty-four. The repulse was 
inevitable. 

Immediately preparations were begun to weaken Wagner, preparatory 
to another assault, by erecting batteries and constructing saps. The enemy's 
sortie on the 14th was repulsed. 

July 15. Company B reached the left front and had a battery of mor- 
tars. 

While we were getting our large guns into position, Company C brought 
over one section of our light pieces from Folly Island on the 12th, another 
section on the 15th, and on the 16th was on the front with four rifles, and 
played the two sections all day on Wagner on the 18th. 



168 SHOT AND SHELL. [July, 

Readers must be left to imagine the severe toil with shovels and all 
sorts of extemporized appliances now expended on the right and left and 
middle of our new front, and going on day and night, especially in the 
night, providing defensive and offensive works. And what strength was 
also expended in hauling heavy guns, timbers, planks, shot, powder, and 
all sorts of supplies. Never was there more activity and anxiety in an 
assailed bee-hive. 

The first line of approaches was near the Beacon House, 1,700 yards 
from Wagner, and was completed by the 17th in the face of a fearful fire. 
Guns and mortars were moved up. 

July 18. The line of batteries was now ready to open fire. The fleet 
was also ready, the New Ironsides, Weehauken, Patapsco, Nahant, Cats- 
kill and gunboat Paul Jones. The right of the batteries was under Lieut.- 
Col. R. H. Jackson, (Captain First United States Artiller} 7 ), the left under 
Maj. J. E. Bailey, of our regiment. From land and sea the fiery hail poured 
on Wagner, which could only feebty respond ; but Sumter, Moultrie, Bee, 
Gregg, and Johnson, met us with all their strength. Wagner's flag and 

staff were cut away ; but a 
regimental standard, and 
finally another Cod federate 
flag, arose. B}- four in the 
afternoon Wagner was si- 
lent. Our troops for the new 
assault were now ready, 
fort wagner at point of assault. and General Gillmore re- 

viewed them. They were 
the brigades of General Strong and Colonel Putnam. Among them 
were Colonel Shaw's Fifty-fourth Massachusetts, selected to lead in the 
attack. General Se3 r mour had command of all. When night had drawn 
her curtain, Colonel Shaw led on, followed by Strong and Putnam. The 
air was full of deadly missiles ; but the brave assailants pressed on, right 
over the wet ditches and right up the slopes . They met waves of fire 
that thinned their ranks. The fort, without and within, was red with 
blood and strewn with the dead. Never was there nobler fighting. But 
Wagner was too large and too well-furnished to be taken by storm with 
that force. This was soon evident. Colonel Shaw was killed. Colonel 
Chatfield was mortally wounded. General Strong received a fatal blow. 
Colonel Putnam fell dead. Most of the officers were cut down. Only a 
remnant of the rank and file survived. The repulse was complete and ter- 
rible. Our loss was very great : fifty-five officers and 585 men ; total, 640. 
Richard F. Johnson (Company C) , was wounded in the ankle by a shell. 

From an exceedingly interesting address of the Confederate commander 
of the First Volunteer Regiment of Georgia, Col. Charles H. Olmstead — 
whom we formerly captured with Fort Pulaski, but who again met us with 




1863.] 



THIRD R. I. H. ARTILLERY. 



169 



the command just named on Morris Island — in his record of the siege of 
Wagner, states that, " during the siege the Federal signal-book was in our 
possession, having been captured on the person of a signal-officer, near 
Georgetown, S. C. Its valuable secrets had been drawn from him by a 
Confederate who shared his place of imprisonment in the garb of a Federal 
prisoner. More than once the knowledge thus acquired proved of essential 
service to us. On this occasion the following dispatch from General 
Gillmore to Admiral Dahlgren had been intercepted and in General 
Beauregard's possession hours before the assault : ' Continue the bom- 
bardment throughout the day ; at sunset redouble it. The assault will 
commence at seven.'" Thus the enemy was forwarned, and, of course, 
forearmed. " Yet," says Colonel Olmstead, " the assault came very near 
meeting with perfect success." 

Now began anew the work of erecting batteries, extending rifle-pits, 
planning and executing saps. A full history of the labor of building these 
batteries, constructing splinter-proofs, erecting magazines, lajdng out and 
digging the zig-zag lines of saps, and arming the front, at this time, would 
fill quite a volume. Nor was all this labor without loss of life upon both 
sides. Sharp-shooters were always at their work. Sorties and attacks 
were frequent along the line of the front, especially as we pressed our 
saps within easy rifle-reach of Wagner's moat. 

July 23. Our second parallel was opened, having an average advance 
of 700 yards beyond our first. Here was wonderful engineering. 

July 25. We commenced erecting batteries to silence Fort Sumter. 

Little did we dream, upon our first landing on Morris Island, that more 
or less of our regiment would here be under fire, day and night, for 588 
days. It was well for our nerves that this future was concealed from us. 
Men who have been under the fire of an enemy a few times, and only a 
few hours at a time, dwell upon their record and recount their perils. 
Surely such will allow that our experiences may not soon be forgotten. 

Respecting the firing of our men on Wagner to weaken it before we 
made the second assault by storm, Captain Shaw relates the following : 
"Capt. A. E. Greene had a battery of five ten-inch siege mortars on an 
elevation a short distance in our rear, from which he was throwing shells 
into Wagner over our heads ; and I can clearly recollect the deafening 
noise those mortars made. I also remember a little circumstance connected 
with that affair, which Greene and his officers thought was a prett}' good 
joke upon the officers of Company D. I proposed to him that we should 
improve the occasion by putting on full dress with sash, etc., and so di- 
rected in my company ; but regretted the order soon after we opened fire, 
for many of the shells of Sumter and the rebel batteries struck in the 
marsh in front and rear of the strip of sand upon which my battery was 
located, completely drenching us all with mud, so that our uniforms soon 
presented a mournful appearance, much to the delight of Greene and his 
officers, who adhered to the fatigue dress." 



170 



SHOT AND SHELL. 



[July. 



The following contribution to the New South will be recognized as one 
of the Chaplain's off-hand compositions : — 

The Heroes of Wagner. 



They fought with banner overhead, 
TiU Wagner's top and floor were red 
With blood of foes and leaders, dead ; 
O memorable battle hour ! 
How deep the spell of thy strange power ! 
Diverse of hues, but one of life, 
What heroes perished in that strife ! 
No, perished not those valiant men ; 
In more than life they live again ; 
Their deathless deeds we grateful own, 
And bid them live in long renown. 

How many noble patriots fell, 
Our history's page shall truthful tell. 
There wounded lay our honored Strong, 
His deed a theme for stirring song ; 
His name in love for aye shall live, 
The nation's bosom is his grave. 
There Putnam, cheering on his band, 
With sword and banner firm in hand, 
Poured on the parapet his blood, 



And made his tomb where martyrs trod. 
There lifeless fell, 'mid battle cries, 
Where yet a monument shall rise, 
The gallant Shaw, whose rude-dug grave 
Was with his sable soldiers, brave ; 
That bloody trench ordained to be 
The ground of new-born liberty. 

Alike for Chatfielb freemen weep, 
And bid fair fame his record keep ; 
Such hero records for our race 
Nor time nor change may e'er efface. 
O yes, let history proud enroll 
High on her fair and precious scroll, 
The cherished names of all the braves 
Who sleep thus loved in martyr graves ; 
For still it is that earth's best good 
Comes only through vicarious blood, 
And men can never let such die 
As give their lives for Liberty. 



July 17. Michael Burns (Company F) , died, at Beaufort. 

July 18. Daniel N. Harvey (Company M), wounded on Morris Island. 

July 19. Company H (Captain Colwell), reached the front. 



CHAPTER XXXIII. 



BREACHING BATTERIES. 

July — August, 1863. 

The earth, shakes 'neath the thundering guns. 

It was now evident that the rebel forts were to be first weakened and 
silenced by siege operations, before they could be carried by storm. To 
this end many and heavy batteries would be requisite. The skill, the 
daring, and the strength for this work were at Gillmore's command. Day 
and night his engineers and his best officers devoted to the planning and 
constructing of breaching batteries. The work went on with amazing 
rapidity, and Admiral Dahlgren held the New Ironsides and the monitors 
ready to co-operate with the army. 

To save, as far as possible, the lives of the fatigue parties engaged in 
constructing the batteries and parallels, a watch was set on the highest 
points of the works on the front, to observe the puffs of smoke from the 
enemy's guns, and give warning, calling the name of the fort from which 
the missile was coming, thus : " Johnson ! cover ! " " Moultrie ! cover ! '» 
" Sumter ! cover ! " The men, if possible, would throw themselves under 
their protections, splinter-proofs, and embankments, till the shot had done 
its work. 

July 24. There occurred an exchange of wounded prisoners. Under 
a flag of truce, the hospital steamer Cosmopolitan, in charge of Lieut. - 
Col. F. Hall, First New York Engineers, Provost-Marshal-General of the 
Department, carried up the harbor to Charleston thirty-nine wounded 
rebel prisoners, and received 105 wounded Union soldiers.' The rebels 
refused to deliver any of the wounded colored soldiers. One hundred and 
eight wounded men remained in the enemy's hands ; fifty-one had died 
since being captured. Unnecessary cases of amputation had taken place. 
While the exchange was being effected all was still on the front ; but 
when the steamer passed from the harbor, on her way to Hilton Head 
hospital, the war-dogs again opened their throats. 

During the month of July the forces on Morris Island and its vicinity 
were increased by the arrival of one brigade of Gen. G. H. Gordon's 
division, of the Eleventh Corps, and a brigade commanded by Gen. 



172 



SHOT AND SHELL. 



[August, 



Alexander Schemmelfennig, and certain other troops. These re-enforce- 
ments amounted to about ten thousand men, which greatly relieved our 
men, already over-taxed in the gigantic siege-work, and gave us assurance 
that our great task would be pressed to success. 

July 25. William C. Tillinghast (Company D), was instantly killed 
by the fragment of a shell, on Morris Island, and was buried near the 
Beacon House. 

About this time, by a premature discharge of one of our Parrott guns, 
Howard Rose and Samuel Kirk (both of Company D), were seriously 
injured. Young Kirk, who was the most severely wounded, as he was 
carried from the battery, forgetting his wounds and pain, exclaimed : 
u Give it to them, boys ; give it to them." We carried out the injunction. 
Mark, ye philosophers, how a principle outweighs suffering, and the public 
welfare becomes to men more sacred than life. 

July 26. David Smith (Company F), died at Beaufort. 



parallel was 3,328 yards from Sumter, 1,942 from Cummings' Point 
(Gregg), 4,264 from Fort Johnson, but only 624 from Wagner. 

Only a lively imagination, well educated in heavy artillery experiences, 
can depict the frowning, fiery fronts. Here was to be a fight of the fiercest 
kind, making earth and sea alike to tremble under the bellowing guns. 

July 30. Silas H. Stewart (Company G) , died at Fort Pulaski. 

Aug. 4. James Kelley (Company F), died at Hilton Head. Funeral 
honors were always given to our patriot dead. 

The rebels on James Island, under cover of the woods, threw up a new 
battery and armed it with good pieces, one of which proved to be an excel- 
lent Brooke gun. Unexpectedly one morning this battery opened on us 
and did not a little execution. Our men very soon had a name for this new 
annoyance, suggested possibly by the English gun. General Gillmore, 
coming to the front, asked Lieutenant Hanscom : "What battery is that?" 

"Excuse me, General, but our men have named it the ." The 

General laughed, and agreed that the name was significant if not polite. 
The work was afterwards known as the " Bull- of- the- Woods." 




July 27. By Special 
Order, No. 441, Gen- 
eral Gillmore appoint- 
ed ' ' Captain Brayton 



If Assistant Chief of Ar- 



jj^ tillery of the Depart- 
ment." 



BOMB AND SPLINTER PROOF. 



At this date we had 
in both parallels nine 
batteries in prepara- 
tion to open on the 
rebel forts ; the one on 
the left of the second 



1863.] 



THIRD R. I. H. ARTILLERY. 



1T3 



Before the reduction of Forts Gregg and Wagner, our batteries erected 
for their reduction and the demolition of Sumter, were known as those of 
the First Parallel (first erected) , Second Parallel (in advance of first) , and 
the Left Batteries on the inland side of the island. The First Parallel 
contained Batteries Reynolds and Weed, using eight-inch and ten-inch 
siege-mortars. The Second Parallel embraced Battery Brown, with two 
200-pounder Parrotts ; Battery Rosecrans, with three 100-pounder Parrotts ; 
Batteiy Meade, with two 100-pounder Parrotts ; and Batter}' Kearney, with 
Coehorn mortars and three thirty-pounder Parrotts. The Left Batteries 
were, Hayes, with one 200-pounder Parrott and seven thirty-pounder Par- 
rotts ; Reno, with one 200-pounder Parrott and two 100-pounder Parrotts ; 
Stevens, with two 100-pounder Parrotts ; Strong, with one 300-pounder 
Parrott ; Kirby, with two ten-inch sea-coast mortars. 

These were commanded as follows : " Re} T nolds," Capt. A. E. Greene 
(B), Third Rhode Island; "Weed," Capt. B. F. Skinner (D), Seventh 
Connecticut; "Brown," Capt. C. G. Strahan (G), Third Rhode Island; 
"Rosecrans," Capt. J. J. Comstock, Jr. (M), Third Rhode Island; 
"Meade," Lieut. H. Holbrook (M), Third Rhode Island; "Kearney," 
Lieut. S. S. Atwell (C), Seventh Connecticut; "Hayes," Capt. R. G. 
Shaw (D), Third Rhode Island; "Reno," Capt. A. W. Colwell (H), 
Third Rhode Island ; " Stevens," Lieutenant J. E. Wilson (C), Fifth United 
States Artillery; "Strong," S. H. Gray (I), Seventh Connecticut. It 
will be seen that six of the batteries were commanded by our officers. On 
the death of Lieutenant Holbrook, his place was filled b}' Lieut. G. W. 
Greene (B). In all the batteries detachments from different commands 
rendered assistance according to circumstances, since the labors were heav}' 
and exhausting. Never can we forget the brave men of other regiments 
associated with us in working our batteries. 

It should be confessed that in the early part of the war there was a 
decided prejudice against employing colored men in the army, and par- 
ticularly against enlisting them as soldiers. Man} T were afraid of the 
ghost of " abolitionism." The Government, itself, seemed to stand in awe 
of slavery. General Butler made a happ}^ breach upon all old notions by 
his use of the word "contraband;" and afterwards the whole of the 
old policy and prejudice was carried by assault. Officers of the Regular 
Army were among the last to be reconciled to the use of negro soldiers. 
In the Tenth Army Corps this reconciliation was largely brought about b}' 
the conduct of the colored troops, especially the First South Carolina and 
Fifty-fourth Massachusetts. 

Aug. 1. Under this date Jeff Davis again attempted to inflame the 
heart of the secessionists by an address to the Confederate soldiers, in 
which he thus characterizes the Federals : "Their malignant rage aims 
at nothing less than the extermination of yourselves, your wives, and 
children. They seek to destroy what they cannot plunder. They propose, 



174 



SHOT AND SHELL. 



[August 



as the spoils of victory, that your homes shall be partitioned among th 
wretches whose atrocious cruelties have stamped infamy on their govern 
ment. They design to incite servile insurrection, and light the fires o 
incendiarism wherever they can reach your homes, by promising indulgence 
of the vilest passions as the price of treachery." 

Here we cannot but call the attention of every careful student of the 
Rebellion to the peculiar style and spirit of address, taken as a whole, 
employed by the rebels, as compared with the language and spirit revealed 
by President Lincoln and all the officers and organs of our government. 
The difference will be found to be that between passion and principle. 

Aug. 9. The Third Parallel was opened by means of the flying-sap, 
at a distance of 450 yards from Wagner. This flying-sap consisted of a 
huge roll or bundle of withes and poles, bound by straps of iron, which 
was kept as a shield in advance of the party opening the sap. A heavj r 
rain of rebel bullets was always on this movement, but the work went 
swiftly on. 

Aug. 11. In the evening the enemy opened on our advance lines with 
grape and canister to arrest our work and prevent the approach of reliefs ; 
but the effort was vain. A similar fire was dealt upon us on the following 
night, but with no better success. 

Aug. 12. On this day we opened our first gun on Fort Sumter. It 
was under command of Capt R. G. Shaw (Company D) , and was fired by 
Sergeant Davis of Pawtucket. The first shot from a thirty-pounder Par- 
rott ' ' struck the gorge wall near the centre of that part of the work. The 
next shot that was fired at Sumter was from the 200-pounder in the same 
battery." This battery was planted in advance of our other batteries and 
behind an extemporized embankment. Perhaps it was unfortunate that 
General Sej^mour ordered the opening of these pieces before the battery 
had been completed and before our line of guns had been advanced for the 
regular siege, as it forewarned the enemy and led them immediately to the 
work of protecting Sumter's walls by cotton bales, sand-bags, and timber 
blindage. 

When our breaching batteries, then called the Left Batteries, near the 
middle of the island on the left hummocks, were completed, and Captain 
Colwell had opened fire on Sumter, he found it impossible to rely upon the 
quality and weight of his cartridges. Some shots would overreach and 
some would fall short. The powder was old and not uniform. Reporting 
this to General Gillmore, he had orders to do what he could to remedy the 
difficulty. He then ordered the powder carried to Folly Island and emp- 
tied out on canvas and thoroughly mixed, and then carefully weighed out 
in new and exact cartridges. His ammunition thus arranged with utmost 
care, to his mind, he opened on Sumter with precision and effect, and im- 
mediately the rebel ramparts and the gorge wall began to tumble to the sea. 

We may here give an extract from a private letter written by Capt. 
A. W. Colwell under date of Aug. 12th : — 



1863.] 



THIRD R. I. H. ARTILLERY. 



175 



" I went to my battery (Battery Reno) , at four this morning ; and as 
soon as it was light, I began firing at fatigue parties on Sumter, Gregg, 
Johnson, and other rebel works. It was fun to see the skedaddling ; their 
work has not amounted to much to-day. This morning I put one of my 
200-pound shots into and through a steamer — about the size of the New- 
port steamers — two miles and a half off. That is what we call fine shoot- 
ing. At 5 o'clock this afternoon the Chief of Artillery came to me and 
ordered me to fire into Sumter, and I put seven shots into her — some of 
them making openings as large as a barn door. I think we shall begin 
with all our batteries in a few days. In the meantime I have orders to fire 
at all squads of rebels that I can see. Our mortars are firing to-night to 
keep the rebels from repairing their works. 

"Aug. 13. My company have named all my guns: No. 1, Baby 
Waker; No. 2, Whistling Dick; No. 3, Brick Driver. I forgot to say 
that in my firing yesterday morning I knocked one of the guns from the 
top of Sumter over the parapet into the water." 

The amount of work assigned to our regiment at this time may be 
inferred from the following Special Order, No. 341, dated August 16th : — - 

"I. All the breaching batteries established against Fort Sumter that are com- 
pleted and in condition for efficient service, and the other batteries hereinbelow 
mentioned, will be opened at break of day to-morrow. Those in process of con- 
struction will commence firing as soon as the several pieces in succession are 
ready to open effectively. The firing will continue from day to day, under the 
immediate supervision of the Chief of Artillery, commencing at daybreak and 
ending at dusk in the evening, with such intermission during the heat of the day 
as may from time to time be ordered, as follows : — 

First — Battery Brown, Capt. C. G. Strahan, Third Bhode Island Volunteer 
Artillery, commanding, against the gorge wall of Fort Sumter, one piece firing 
shot and the other percussion shell exclusively. 

Second — Battery Rosecrans, Capt. J. J. Comstock, Jr., Third Rhode Island 
Volunteer Artillery, commanding, against the gorge wall of Fort Sumter, one 
piece to fire percussion shell and two pieces to fire shot exclusively. 

Third — Battery Meade, First Lieut. Henry Holbrook, Third Rhode Island 
Volunteer Artillery, commanding, against the gorge wall of Fort Sumter, both 
pieces firing percussion shell exclusively. 

Fourth — Battery Kearney, First Lieut. S. S. Atwell, Seventh Connecticut 
Volunteer Infantry, commanding. The guns will operate against Battery Gregg, 
with shot and shell, unless otherwise directed, and the mortars against Fort 
Wagner, exploding the shell just over the fort. 

Fifth — ' The Naval Battery,' Commander F. A. Parker, United States Navy, 
commanding, against the gorge wall and barbette fire of Fort Sumter, at the dis- 
cretion of the battery commander. 

Sixth — Battery Reynolds, Capt. A. E. Greene, Third Rhode Island Volunteer 
Artillery, commanding, against Fort Wagner, exploding the shell just before 
striking. 

Seventh — Battery Weed, Capt. B. F. Skinner, Seventh Connecticut Volunteer 
Infantry, commanding, to fire the same as Battery Reynolds. 

Eighth — Battery Hayes, Capt. R. G, Shaw, Third Rhode Island Volunteer 
Artillery, commanding, against the gorge wall of Fort Sumter, with shot exclu- 



176 



SHOT AND SHELL. 



[August , 



sively, and against Fort Wagner or Battery Gregg as may from time to time be 
ordered. 

Ninth — Battery Keno, Capt. A. W. Colwell, Third Khode Island Volunteer 
Artillery, commanding, against the gorge wall of Fort Sumter, one piece to fire 
shot and the other pieces to fire percussion shell exclusively. 

Tenth— Battery Stevens, Lieut. J. E. Wilson, First United States Artillery, 
commanding, against the gorge wall of Fort Sumter, one piece firing shot and 
the other percussion shell exclusively. 

Eleventh — Battery Strong, Capt. S. H. Gray, Seventh Connecticut Volunteer 
Infantry, commanding, against the gorge wall of Fort Sumter, firing shot and 
percussion shell, commencing with the former. 

Twelfth — Battery Kirby, Lieut. Charles Sellmer, Eleventh Maine Volunteer 
Infantry, commanding, against Fort Sumter, the shells to be exploded within the 
fort just before striking. 

II. The Brigadier-General Commanding takes this occasion to remind the 
officers and men under his command, and especially those to whom he has 
this day assigned the posts of honor and danger, that the eyes of a beneficent 
country are fixed upon them, not only with the ardent hope, but the confident 
expectation of success. The nation is indeed waiting to crown you the victors of 
Sumter. We need not — must not fail. Let us fearlessly do our whole duty to 
our beloved country, and, in the language of our late companion in arms — the 
gallant and lamented Strong — ' Put our trust in God.' 

By order of Brig.-Gen. Q. A. GILLMORE." 

Aug. 17. All the heavy guns to bear on Sumter were now in position 
and in full operation. Of course the enemy poured on us an unceasing 
fire. 

There is not only a general fellowship of arms, but a special one. All 
who wield sabres glory in that dashing arm. All who bear muskets — the 
arm that bears the brunt in every great engagment — have a pride of their 
own. Such as handle heavy ordnance and strike the thundering blows, 
have also a distinguishing attachment for each other. Hence the close and 
strong fellowship between our regiment — the heavy land-gunners — and 
the navy — the grand gunners on the decks. Besides, our men often 
assisted in working the guns of naval transports, and the naval forces in 
some instances landed with their pieces and fought by our side in siege 
operations. We rejoiced in our common victories, and wept in our com- 
mon losses. And here we cannot refrain from some record of one whom 
we honored and loved. 

COMMANDER GEORGE W. ROGERS, 

Killed at his post on board the Monitor Catskill, bombarding Fort 
Wagner, by a shot from the fort, Aug. 17, 1863. 

How oft the support of the standard is cleft 

While the stars of the banner still shining- are left. 

TJnawed in his duty and pure in his heart 

To bear for his country the perilous part, 

In the front of the battle he valiantly fell — 

Brave Rogers — for whom o'er the land rolled a knell ; 

Let canvas and marble his record preserve — 

The leader in danger who never would swerve ; 

As a star pours its light over mountain and sea, 

Let his name shine afar o'er the land of the free. 



1863.] 



THIRD R. I. H. ARTILLERY. 



177 



Aug. 19. While we sincere!}' mourned with our brothers of the navy, 
they found just occasion to sorrow with us, as on this day one of our truest 
officers received his mortal wound. 

LIEUT. HENRY HOLBROOK. 

This intrepid officer was born in Mendon, Mass., June 10, 1833. 
Left an orphan at the age of ten, he lived awhile with his brother and then 
became a sailor. Leaving the sea in 1855, he enlisted in the Tenth United 
States Infantry and served in Utah. On the opening of the Rebellion he 
volunteered as an officer in the Tenth Massachusetts Battery. In our com- 
mand he was chosen Second Lieutenant Nov. 28, 1862, and was promoted 
to First Lieutenant April 3, 1863. While in command of Battery Meade, 
hitting Fort Sumter with every shot, he was struck by a fragment of a 
rebel shell in the left shoulder, necessitating the amputation of the whole 
arm with the shoulder blade — usually a fatal operation. He would allow 
only Surgeon Burton to perform the surgery, wishing the best skill on the 
front. While under the influence of ether, during the amputation, his mind 
was still with his command in the siege, and with firm voice he continued 
to give his orders : " No. 1, Ready ! Fire ! No. 2, Ready ! Fire ! Stand 
to3'Ourwork men! No. 3, Ready! Fire!" On the return of conscious- 
ness he was in a remarkably cheerful mood, and, slapping his leg two or 
three times with his remaining hand, he said : " Well, Doctor, I'd rather 
let the arm go than lose one of these fellows." But he rapidly failed. He 
received his wound Aug. 19th, and died on the 21st, and was buried on the 
23d. The funeral cortege was impressive — mid awe-inspiring battle- 
scenes, under the guns of the foe. Men of our regiment, officers of other 
commands, a company of infantry, and two field-pieces, with the band of 
the Sixth Connecticut, made the funeral train. How sadly we laid him in 
his sandy grave by the side of other fallen braves. His fellow-officers and 
the men under him, having respected and esteemed him as a capable, de- 
voted soldier, greatly mourned his sudden death. Thus was laid another 
patriotic, heroic spirit on the altar of freedom. 

Not lost are the tears which the loyal must shed, 
As in anguish they bend o'er the forms of their dead ; 
When the valiant thus fall while defending the right, 
The living, for duty, are nerved with fresh might. 

While we were advancing and preparing our batteries the rebels poured 
upon us' the heaviest and hottest of their metal ; and we allow that they 
executed some good practice. Before again storming Wagner, it was re- 
solved to silence Sumter, which sorely annoyed us with plunging shot, and 
commanded the approaches to Wagner. And the navy as well as the army 
disliked the heavy fire from those high walls. 

Aug. 18. Warren Eddy (Company H), was killed on Morris Island. 

Aug. 28. Michael Gormby (Company G), wounded. 

12 



178 



SHOT AND SHELL. 



[August. 



Aug. 30. Charles Abby (Company M) , killed b}^ explosion of gun on 
Morris Island. Thus gallant and deepty-mourned comrades were falling. 

Aug. 21. Lieut. Jabez B. Blanding, on account of the loss of the use 
of his arm from the battle of Pocotaligo, resigned his place amongst us to 
accept a commission as First Lieutenant in the Veteran Reserve Corps. 
He joined us as Second Lieutenant, Aug. 27, 1861, and was promoted to 
be First Lieutenant, Nov. 11, 1862. He was almost idolized by Company 
Gr, and beloved by the whole regiment. A more gallant officer never drew 
sword. The loss of his arm was his full justification for retiring from the 
front to a more quiet position among those whose losses of limbs were their 
enduring proofs of noble conduct. 

It will not be inappropriate to here introduce a few extracts from the 
dispatches (afterwards captured) sent to General Beauregard from Col. 
Alfred Rhett, the commandant of Fort Sumter : — 

" Aug. 13. Seventeen 200-pounder Parrott shot and shell struck the fort. Two 
men wounded. A clear breach of three feet made in the northwest angle by a 
single 200-pounder shot. 

Aug. 15. Four hundred and seventy laborers and mechanics engaged in relief, 
day and night, upon the defences of the fort; 300 bags of sand received, 2,500 
built up on exterior of gorge. 

Aug. 17. They have hammered the fort a good deal. All the guns, except one 
eight-inch and one ten-inch gun, on northwest point are disabled. About fifty 
shot and shell came into the fort; over one hundred struck the walls outside. 

Aug. 18. Nine hundred and forty-eight shot and shell fired ; 445 struck out- 
side, 223 inside, 270 passed over. Should the enemy contemplate moving in to- 
night on the northeast face, we could not open a gun. 

Aug. 19. Twenty feet of gorge wall fallen ; two-thirds will probably be down 
to-morrow. Seven hundred and sixty-two shots to-day; one killed, four wounded. 

Aug. 20. Flag just shot away, and replaced. Firing more destructive than 
ever. Flag-staff disabled; flag twice shot away during the day; 9,000 lbs. pow- 
der, quantities of shot and shell, implements, etc., 120 barrels pork, and seventy- 
five barrels flour shipped from the fort. 

Aug. 21. Flag twice shot away this morning. Should the fleet come in, I don't 
think the men could stay at the guns; 923 shots; 445 struck outside, 259 inside, 
219 passed over. Flag-staff shot down four times. Fire the heaviest that has yet 
taken place. 

Aug. 22. Have but two guns en barbette. Five arches and terre-plein, north- 
west face, fallen in. 

Shots fired from Aug. 16th to Aug. 23d: Total, 5,750; struck outside, 2,700; 
struck inside, 1,724; missed, 1,336. The first 200-pounder shots were fired on the 
morning of the 12th. 

Aug. 23. Monitors threw fifty-nine shot and shell ; batteries threw 633. Only 
one gun on east barbette serviceable." 

Aug. 24. General Gillmore reported to the War Department "the 
practical demolition of Fort Sumter, as the result of our seven days' bom- 
bardment of that work." It was, indeed, as viewed from our batteries, a 
shapeless mass, and it was unable to open on Morris Island, or on our fleet 
a single gun. The completeness of its disability we shall show in a subse- 
quent chapter from the records of the rebels themselves. 



CHAPTER XXXIV. 



THE SWAM P ANGEL. 
August, 1863. 



Mysterious angel-ministries. 

The inland side of Morris Island being a vast marsh stretching out 
towards James Island and the city of Charleston, Gillmore conceived the 
singular and seemingly impracticable project of planting far out in this marsh, 
on the left front of our lines, a heavy battery that should send his ardent 
compliments to Beauregard and the Charlestonians. This might have been 
styled the overland and oversea route to Charleston. 

This famous work known as the Swamp Angel Batteiy, was begun about 
Aug. 4th and finished Aug. 19th. It was located at a point approachable 
only at high water, and at a distance of 8,800 yards (26,400 feet) from 
Charleston — a little short of five miles ; 7,000 yards from the lower end of 
Charleston. The mud of the swamp at this point was sixteen feet deep. 
A Lieutenant of Engineers said: "The thing is impossible." Colonel 
Serrell (First New York Engineers) , answered : " There is no such word as 
impossible : the batter}' must be built at the point indicated." The Lieu- 
tenant was instructed to make requisition for any force and any material 
that might be necessary. It was told of the Lieutenant that he called for 
" one hundred men, eighteen feet high, to wade in mud sixteen feet deep," 
and then asked the surgeon " whether he could splice the eighteen feet men 
if they were furnished him." 

An immense platform of logs of ample dimensions, in double layers, 
crossed and interlocked and firmly fastened, with an opening for piles on 
which the gun might rest, was towed at high-water, upon a favorable night 
to the place designated, where each corner was anchored by a stake in the 
marsh. Accompanying boats, loaded with gunny bags of sand, were ready 
to discharge their cargoes on the platform, covering its surface and embed- 
ding it in the swamp. The scene was like a bee-hive. A host of boats 
and thousands of bags of sand reached the work quickly. The batteiy floor 
was brought above the reach of the spring tides, and covered with heavj T 
plank in two layers. Side walls twelve or fifteen feet thick of bags of sand 



180 



SHOT AND SHELL 



[August, 



were carried up as a protection against the enemy's shot. Piles were 
driven to support the gun-carriage. It grew with astonishing rapidity. By 
daylight it was ready for the gun intended to be mounted in it. 

As the morning fog lifted, there stood, to the astonishment of the 
rebels, this strange work, the creation of a single night, frowning upon the 
rebel front. 

The construction-party necessarily ceased their work by morning, and 
retired from the creeks ; but three bold men ventured to remain in the 
work during the day to observe the enemy, and to defend the work, if ne- 
cessary, with their Spencer repeating rifles. Immediately the battery 
became a target for the hottest fire that could be poured from Johnson, 
Sumter, and Moultrie ; which was kept up for hours, but inflicted no 
irreparable damage. The guards within kept hush, making no attack, 
except upon their rations, and were unharmed. Long will they remember 4 



The honor of originating the classical name — Swamp Angel — for this 
historical gun, belongs to Sergeant Felter (Company A), of the ISew York 
Volunteer Engineers. What his quick humor struck off in a moment of 
patriotic fervor, proved to be an inspiration of history. The battery was 
commanded by Lieut. Charles Sellmer, Eleventh Maine. The Swamp 
Angel was equal to its bold and unparalleled mission ; it hurled its 200- 
pound fiery missiles high over all the rebel works into the defiant but now 
affrighted cit} T . From the nature of the battery, the great elevation of the 
piece, and the heavy charges used, the gun finally burst at the thirt}^- 
sixth discharge. 

Before opening fire on Charleston, General Gillmore notified General 
Beauregard, and demanded his abandonment of Morris Island and Fort 
Sumter. 

Aug. 21. Before noon Lieut. -Col. J. F. Hall advanced to the enemy's 
lines with a flag of truce and delivered General Gillmore's communication. 



that da}\ 




SWAMP ANGEL BATTERY. 



The following night 
the Swamp Angel — 
a 200-pounder Par- 
rott — was rafted to 
the spot and success- 
fully put in position ; 
from which hour 
■Charleston was with- 
in the reach of our 
artillery lips, though 
as yet it was not seri- 
ously believed by the 
enemy that we could 
mar the city. 



1863.] 



THIRD R. I. H. ARTILLERY. 



181 



Late in the evening a steamer came down from Charleston with a flag of 
truce and brought the rejection of Gillmore's demand. Beauregard, the 
wise artillerist and corypheus of the Confederate gunners, knew that the 
proposed measure of firing so far was unparalleled, and hence he deemed it 
chimerical — as the boast of a hair-brained chieftain. 

But General Gillmore ordered the Swamp Angel to open at 1.30 o'clock, 
a. m., Aug. 22d. Of the effect of our shot we shall let a witness among 
the Confederates speak. 

A person then in a Charleston hotel thus wrote of the effect of our first 
shots upon the city : — 

" On the 22d of August, at 2.30 a. m., ... I was startled by a noise that, 
from connection with my reading (' Les Miserables '), resembled the whirl of a 
phantom brigade of cavalry galloping in mid air. . . . A crash, succeeded by 
a deafening explosion, in the very street on which my apartment was situated, 
brought me with a bound into the centre of the room. Looking from the win- 
dow, I saw fire and smoke issuing from a house in which were stowed the drugs 
of the Medical Purveyor. . . . On reaching the hall I found a motley crowd 
. . . with the biggest words cursing the Federal commanders. Whirr ! came 
another shell over the roof, and down on their faces went every man of them, 
into tobacco-juice and cigar-ends, and clattering among the spittoons. . . 

The population was now aroused, the streets filled with women and children, 
making for the upper part of the city. . . . The volunteer fire-brigades 
brought out their engines, and parties of the citizen reserves were organized 
rapidly and quietly, to be in readiness to give assistance. . . . Through the 
streets I went down to the battery promenade, meeting on my way sick and bed- 
ridden people carried from their homes on mattresses, and mothers with infants 
in their arms running, they knew not whither. Reaching the promenade, I cast 
my eyes towards the Federal position, beyond James Island, and presently came 
a flash, then a dull report, and, after an interval of some seconds, a frightful, 
rushing sound above me told the path that the shell had taken. Its flight must 
have been five miles." 

On Beauregard's sending a bitter complaint that he had not had suffi- 
cient time to remove non-combatants from under our fire, General Gillmore 
•suspended fire and gave him till 11 o'clock, p. m., of the 23d. Soon after 
we resumed our work. 

We copy a few lines from a Charleston paper: "Between 1 and 2 
o'clock, the enemy commenced firing on the city, arousing our people from 
their slumbers. Twelve eight-inch shell fell into the city ; thirteen in all 
having been fired. Several shell flew in the direction of St. Michael's 
steeple, and fell either in the vacant lots in the burnt district on King Street, 
or more generally struck in the centre of the streets. . . . One entered 
a warehouse at the corner of Hague and Church streets, entering the roof 
and exploding in the upper story. . . . Some loose straw or packing 
was set on fire which caused the alarm bells to ring, and brought out the 
firemen." The fire-bells were heard on Morris Island. 

By the waj^, the matter of " Greek Fire," of which so much was said, 
was all a mistake. No Greek fire was at this time used. The " Greek " was 
all in the eyes of the Charlestonians. 



182 



SHOT AND SHELL. 



[August. 



Of the thrilling effect of this, our first fire upon the city of Charleston 
— a feat that attracted the attention of the world even — ■ we are tempted 
to speak in off-hand measure, as not unsuited to the nature and bearings 
of the indescribable event : — 



And now that Monster, black as soot, 

That in the swamp had fixed his foot,— 

A Yankee genius — with a trill 

First learned, no doubt, near Bunker Hill ; 

That Ebon Angel, from his throat 

Sulphureous, poured his awful note ; 

Horrific as the fatal blast 

From some eruptive mountain cast. 

Behold the flaming 1 missile rise 
In arching path along the skies ; 
Behold it dashing on the town 
While furious flames are far outthrown ; 
Wild-lighting up the summer night, 
Wide-spreading terror and affright. 
Five miles, that Angel's wings were spread, 
O'er flowing tide and palmy grove, 



Commissioned with a message dread 
That seemed like judgment from above ; 
Alarming voice, convulsing gleam, 
That broke the city's guilty dream. 
From chamber, cellar, parlor, hall ; 
Men, women, children, servants, — all 
Upstarting, praying, rushing, crying — 
Through lanes and streets, half-naked , flying 
Beneath the flame-lit midnight skies, 
The air resounding with their sighs, 
As though Heaven's angel sure had come 
To warn them to a warmer home — 
An altogether different rapture 
From what they spoke at Sumter's capture. 



And the peculiar and pithy correspondence that passed between Gill- 
more and Beauregard, on the occasion of this firing upon the city, may per- 
haps be best set forth in similar easy measures : — 



Affrighted Beauregard now wrote 
To Gillmore a protesting note : — 

"You crazy Yankee ! What is this 
Unheard of, barbarous address — 
Greek Fire ! or something of the sort — 
Of Tophet's flames but little short ; 
And so abominably scented ? 
This devilish work must be prevented. 

Besides the distance is not fair — 
Five miles straight measured through the air! 
Have you a patent of the sky, 
And cannon that on wings may fly ? 

What ! fire o'er all my works, your bombs, 
As though my forts were merely tombs? 
Such duelling is foul, I swear ! 
From such malpractice, sir, forbear ! 

St ill further, sir, our southern maids . 
Have been affrighted from their beds. 
Like old Gomorrah deem you us, 
With rain of fire to treat us thus ? 

Give lawful notice, if you please; 
I need some more than forty days 
To move my maids beyond the lines 
To save their perilled crinolines — 
In short, this siege, sir, must abate ; 
Or I shall sure retaliate." 



The note official duly read, 
Response appropriate was sped. 

" How knightly, Sir, the moral tone 
Of fighting to be let alone ! 
But since you broached the martial fun 
On the ' Star of the West ' and Anderson, 
Why now object to play your card 
Of ' paixhan, mortar, and petard ? ' 

Indeed, Sir, I am much surprised 
That two long years have not sufficed 
Wherein to study means and ways 
To guard your ladies' hoops and stays. 

' Greek Fire ! ' you cry. You are in sport 
Must be — a joke — or little short. 
Perhaps some new phenomenon 
Is heralding your greatness' dawn, 
Since flames are deemed to augurate 
Great changes in affairs of state. 
But what disturbed your maids with frights 
Were doubtless some new Northern Lights, 
Down from the chilly regions sent — 
The heralds of some great event ; 
For, on your oath, I might not throw 
My shells from Morris Island so ; 
Besides, who ever heard before 
That fire was used in waging war." 



Though no ' ' Greek Fire " was used in the shells thrown by the 
" Swamp Angel " batter}', yet when our guns on Cummings' Point opened 
on the city, some of the shells were charged with incendiary material, 
prepared at the West Point foundry. Other shells, in addition to their 
explosive charge, contained pieces of what is known as port-fire. A few 
were filled with a preparation known as " Short's solidified Greek fire," 
which proved to be no more effective and to be less safe than the ordinary 
port-fire prepared at our arsenals. It was prepared in tubes that were 
dropped in the shell with as much powder as could be shaken in among 
them. 

Aug. 25. Sergt. Joseph H. Fish (Company M), died of his wounds, 
on the hospital-ship Cosmopolitan, on her way from Morris Island to 
Beaufort, and his remains were tenderly laid in the cemetery in the suburbs 
of the city. 



CHAPTER XXXV. 



FALL OF FORTS WAGNER AND GREGG. 
August — September, 1863. 

The stoutest fronts of wrong must yield. 

Our breaching batteries having silenced and disabled Sumter, and 
having, in conjunction with the monitors and gun-boats, proved themselves 
capable of holding the other rebel forts nearly dumb, labor was renewed 
in running our saps and parallels towards the moat of Wagner. This 
work was severe and hazardous in the extreme ; and it was astonishing 
with what promptness and ardor our troops gave themselves to this desper- 
ate task. Did the world ever see superior engineering or bravery? Such 
sapping under a terrific fire men had never before accomplished. 

Aug. 17. At ten in the evening the rebels sallied from Wagner and 
charged upon our sappers and miners. They were desperate, as the}' 
knew that we were surely planning their overthrow. They only drove in 
our pickets, for we were ready to meet them at all times. Our reserve 
forces soon regained the ground, and our working parties pushed on their 
saps. By day and by night the firing continued, and was often severe on 
both sides, but the work upon the approaches went on. 

Aug. 18, 19. A powerful northeast storm, with an unusual tide, filled 
the trenches and carried away much of our third parallel. This was im- 
mediately restored. We were equal to flood and fire. 

Aug. 21. A fourth parallel was opened three hundred yards from 
Wagner. All this work was carried on at night, to be secure from the 
sharp-shooters in the rifle-pits and redoubts on the margin of Wagner. 
Skirmishes along the front were now constant. Nearly a hundred 3'ards in 
front of the fourth parallel a sand-ridge crossed the island, behind which 
the rebels found shelter, and from which they withstood our advance. 

Aug. 26. Upon this ridge the Twent}'-fourth Massachusetts under 
Col. F. A. Osborn made a successful charge with the bayonet, killing and 
wounding about twelve of the foe and capturing the remainder — two 
lieutenants and fifty-one men of the Sixty-first North Carolina. Shovels 
were placed in the hands of the prisoners who were glad to dig to protect 
themselves from the terrible fire of their own side. 



184 



SHOT AND SHELL. 



[August, 



Upon gaining this ridge, work was instantly commenced on the fifth 
parallel, within 200 j^ards of Wagner. And from this parallel Capt. Joseph 
Walker, (First New York Engineers) , who had the direction of the sap- 
ping and mining, started a flying-sap toward Wagner and ran it about 
seventy-five yards before daylight under a tornado of musketry and artil- 
lery. 

Our sappers met with numerous torpedoes which the rebels had planted 
in the sand along the possible approaches to their stronghold. One of 
these exploded near Captain Walker buiying him to the waist in sand. 
We drew out ten of these hidden monsters. One or two exploded without 
inflicting damage. They were sheet-iron oval-shaped cases — like two 
cones united at their bases — holding nearly fifty pounds of powder, and 
exploded by pressure upon a plunger with a percussion cap, sprung by a 
step upon a small board on the surface of the sand. 

Mortars were mounted in the fifth parallel. Meanwhile the batteries in 
the first and second parallels and on the left were pouring their hot and 
destructive blows on Wagner, Gregg and Sumter. 

The following is a summary statement of the firing at Fort Sumter 
during the seven da}^s' bombardment, from the 17th to the 23d of August : — 



Whole number of projectiles, 5,009 

Total weight of metal, . 552,683 lbs. 

Projectiles that struck, 2,479 

That struck gorge wall, 1,668 

Weight that breached, . . 289,986 lbs. 



Of our operations at this time General Gillmore thus speaks: "For 
forty-two consecutive hours the spectacle presented was of surpassing 
sublimity and grandeur. Seventeen siege and coehorn mortars unceasingly 
dropped their shells into the work, over the heads of our sappers and the 
guards of the advanced trenches ; thirteen of our heavy Parrott rifles — 100, 
200, and 300-pounders — pounded away at short though regular intervals, at 
the southwest angle of the bomb-proof, while during the daytime, the New 
Ironsides, with remarkable regularity and precision, kept an almost incessant 
stream of eleven-inch shells from her eight-gun broadside, ricochetting over 
the water against the sloping parapet of Wagner ; whence, deflected up- 
ward with a low-remaining velocity, they dropped nearly vertically, explod- 
ing within or over the work, and rigorously searching every part of it except 
the subterranean shelters. The calcium lights turned night into day, . . 
and brought the minutest details of the fort into sharp relief/' 

Aug. 28. While our men of Company I were bravely and steadily 
wielding their big guns in the battery on the extreme right near the beach, 
in the darkness of the night, Michael Gormley, at his gun No. 1 , a 200- 
pounder Parrott, was struck by a rebel shell from Simkins, that mangled > 
and necessitated the immediate amputation of, his left arm. 



1863.] 



THIRD R. I. H. ARTILLERY. 



185 



Sept. o. From the fifth parallel, since the island was very low and nar- 
row at that part, our approaches were by zig-zag saps, making sharp angles, 
as there was no chance for another regular parallel. Here the labor was. 
peculiarly difficult and hazardous. Here the sand of our saps and the 
skirts of Wagner were often wet with blood. Our approaches finally 
reached so near the fort that the sand of the last sap thrown up (Sept. 5th) 
slid into the moat of the fort. 

Sept. 6. As during the preceding clay, the batteries and the fleet kept 
up a constant and powerful fire upon Wagner, holding its garrison in silence, 
and tearing the angles and parapet of the work. General Gillmore was 
now read} T for the final asasult. In the evening he assembled his brigade 
and regimental commanders at General Terry's head-quarters and gave 
to them his full and final instructions. The troops were to form compactly in 
the trenches at 1 o'clock, at night, ready to charge and support. Axemen 
of General Stevenson's brigade were to be ready to cut away palisades 
and obstructions. The land and naval batteries were to keep the rebels 
in their bomb-proofs till the very moment of assault. That was an hour 
of portentous expectancy on our part. It was an hour of painful trepida- 
tion on the part of the enemy. 

At the hour named in the night, the troops had marched to their 
positions in the trenches. Soon a report was passed along that Wagner 
had been evacuated. Two men volunteered to reconnoitre, crossed the 
moat, mounted to the parapet, and found the work deserted. Its silent 
abandonment had just been accomplished. General Terry pressed on to 
Fort Gregg only to find that it also had been evacuated. Our flag went 
up on the captured works. A few straggling rebels and about fifty in a 
boat were cut off and taken prisoners by Major Sanford, of the Seventh 
Connecticut. 

The rebels commenced the evacuation of the forts about 10 o'clock of 
the previous night, and escaped in boats from Cummings' Point. Fort 
Wagner was commanded by Colonel Keitt, of South Carolina, and garri- 
soned by 1,400 effective men. Its bomb-proof was capable of holding 
1,800 men. Fort Gregg was manned by about 200 men. We captured 
nineteen pieces of artillery and a large supply of superior ammunition. 
The evacuation of the forts must have been determined upon only a short 
time before it took place. Perhaps the rebels learned of the strength of 
the assault that was impending. Their flight saved a large effusion of 
blood. 

It is worthy of record that, during our siege, our parallels, trenches, 
saps, splinter-proofs, and batteries would have measured, in a single, 
straight line, about eight miles. 

The firing at Fort Wagner on the 5th and 6th, from the breaching bat- 
teries — Strong, Brown, Reno, Rosecrans, Meade, and Stevens — may be 
summarized: Whole number of projectiles thrown, 1,411; weight of 



186 



SHOT AND SHELL. 



[September, 



metal thrown, 150,505 pounds ; number of projectiles which struck the 
fort, 1,247 ; number which struck the bomb-proofs, 1,173. 

The report of Brig. -Gen. J. W. Turner, Chief-of- Staff and of Artillery, 
made to General Gillmore Sept. 8th, closes as follows : — 

" The total number of projectiles thrown against Sumter, up to the 7th of Sep- 
tember, was 6,451; and against Wagner, since the 26th of July, 9,875; making a 
total of artillery projectiles of 16,326. 

In closing this report, I would call the attention of the Commanding General 
to the zeal and efficient services rendered by Captain C. K. Bray ton, Third Rhode 
Island Heavy Artillery, who has acted during this period of operations as my 
Assistant." 

Wagner was terribly torn and very filthy. Bodies unburied and half- 
buried were found in and around it. In it we found Belgian rifles, siege- 
guns, howitzers, and mortars. Around it we found more than sixty tor- 
pedoes. The outer edge of the work was hedged with French boarding- 
pikes of an old pattern — lances and spears with edged or bladed hooks set 
in hard wood handles, making a chevaux-de-frise of steel blades. The bot- 
tom of the moat was covered with planks full of sharp spikes two or three 
inches in length. But all the arts and strength of the rebels were insuffi- 
cient to preserve their strongholds. 

Immediately our heavy gunners were thrown into the works and began 
the labors of reversing the guns and fitting the forts for aggressive opera- 
tions. 

That Wagner and Gregg had succumbed, was to us a great relief and 
joy. But now we were called to be the excited spectators of a new and re- 
markable duel. In the afternoon of the day that we entered the evacuated 
forts (September 7th), the Weehawken moved up near to Cummings' Point 
to cheer our troops, and lend Fort Sumter a few fifteen-inch shells. On 
her return after dark, she grounded off Fort Moultrie, close under all the 
rebel guns on Sullivan's Island, and every effort during the night to get her 
off was fruitless. Early in the morning (September 8th) , the enemy dis- 
covered her and opened on her about a hundred guns. Her consorts in the 
fleet flocked to her relief and defence. The Ironsides came in with her 
thunders and thunderbolts. Then there was gunning of a high order. We, 
of the army on Morris Island, about two miles distant, unable to give her 
succor, in our s}-mpathies flocked to the sand-hills and beach to witness 
the duel. Nearly a hundred rebel cannon smiting one little monitor sup- 
ported by her sister keels. How bravely the spunky " cheese-box " 
answered back, pouring her fifteen-inch shell into Moultrie. Her second 
shot entered a magazine, blowing it up and killing and wounding a num- 
ber of the garrison. The other iron-clads and the Ironsides drove home 
similar arguments, firing some of the buildings, and finally compelling the 
rebel gunners to quit their pieces, till Moultrie at least was almost silent. 
At the turn of the tide, late in the day, the Weehawken floated and came 



1863.] 



THIRD R. I. H. ARTILLERY. 



187 



out of the fight with only slight bruises of her mail and three men wounded. 
Our caps and shouts went up for the navy. 

Sept. 11. While engaged in rearranging and refitting Fort Wagner, 
our men were exposed to buried torpedoes. Peter Reiley (Company M) , 
while on the glacis of the land-face of the work, sprung one of these con- 
cealed, deadly machines, and was fearfully injured in his right leg. The 
amputation of his limb saved his life. He, however, continued in the ser- 
vice till discharged by surgeon's certificate June 24, 1864. 

Surgeon Burton tells of touching incidents of courage, endurance, and 
affection of men when passing under his hands, in the loss of their limbs, 
and when d} T ing from wounds and disease. 

One man, whose onl}' living relative was a sister, when about to die, 
and full}' conscious of his state, said : " Well, doctor, I'm going ; and I 
have no one to love me but my sister, who can't be here ; but, doctor, 
won't }x>u kiss me before I die ? " A more tender and feeling kiss was 
never given. 

Some may inquire relative to the comparative excellence of the gunning 
on the two sides in the great operations of which we are speaking. At the 
close of the war the Confederate artillerists frankly acknowledged that the 
Yankees possessed superior guns and skill. But we as frankly state that 
the rebel gunners handled their pieces with remarkable precision and 
effect. Let one statement illustrate this. After the capture of Fort Wag- 
ner the enemy opened a lively fire upon the work while we were refitting 
it. Now the fort embraced an area of less than an acre within the circle 
of its parapets, and the enemy's guns were about two miles distant ; yet 
in a single day, out of 235 shells fired at this work, 185 burst inside ; and 
on another day 150 shells struck inside the fort. The best of artillerists 
will allow that this was excellent practice. One day, in and around the 
work, we lost sixteen men, killed and wounded. It was a hot place for 
fatigue parties. 



CHAPTER XXXVI. 



DEMOLISHING FORT SUMTER. 
September — October, 1863. 



Where treason smote is treason smit. 

Fort Sumter was already silenced. Its barbette guns had been over- 
thrown and its parapet cut away. Its gorge wall was a vast ruin, and all 
its embrasures facing Morris Island had been beaten out. Still the enemy 
held it with a garrison, and waved over it the Confederate flag, and 
managed to occasionally fire a small gun. As we opened new cavities in 
the walls, the rebels filled them with logs and bags of sand. Nothing, 
however, would satisfy us but the complete destruction of the work that 
had so proudly defied us. 

We again quote from the records of the rebels in Sumter : — 

"Sept. 1. The effect of firing to-day very heavy. . . . Pan-coupe and next 
two arches have fallen. The rest of the wall is badly scaled, and in all probability 
will come down to-morrow as low as the first tier of casemates. We have not a 
gun en barbette that can be fired. Only one gun in casemate/' 

Thus we have the testimony of the rebels themselves that Sumter was 
mangled, paralyzed, powerless. But we still add one more extract from 
Colonel Rhett's record : — 

" Sumter, Sept. 4, 1863. I consider it impossible to either mount or use guns 
on any part of the parapet; and I deem the fort, in its present condition, unser- 
viceable for offensive purposes." 

The following official paper was enthusiastically received by our troops, 
and proudly read throughout the loyal ranks of our country : — 

" Department of the South, Head-quarters in the Field, ) 
Morris Island, S. C, Sept. 15, 1862. I 

General Orders : — 

It is with no ordinary feeling of gratification and pride that the Brigadier-Gen- 
eral Commanding is enabled to congratulate this army upon the signal success 
which has crowned the enterprise in which it has been engaged. Fort Sumter is 
destroyed. The scene where our country's flag suffered its first dishonor, you 
have made the theatre of its proudest triumphs. 



1863.] 



THIRD R. I. H. ARTILLERY. 



189 



The fort has been in possession of the enemy for more than two years, has 
been his pride and boast, has been strengthened by every appliance known to mil- 
itary science, and has defied the assaults of the most powerful and gallant fleet 
the world ever saw. But it has yielded to your courage and patient labor. Its 
walls are now crumbled to ruins, its formidable batteries are silenced, and, though 
a hostile flag still floats over it, the fort is a harmless and helpless wreck. 

Forts Wagner and Gregg — works rendered remarkable by their protracted re- 
sistance and the sacrifice of life they have cost — have also been wrested from the 
enemy by your persevering courage and skill, and the graves of your fallen com- 
rades rescued from desecration and contumely. 

You now hold in undisputed possession the whole of Morris Island, and the 
city and harbor of Charleston lie at the mercy of your artillery from the very spot 
where the first shot was fired at your country 1 s flag, and the Rebellion itself was 
inaugurated. 

To you — the officers and soldiers of this command — and to the gallant navy 
which has co-operated with you, are due the thanks of your Commander and your 
country. You were called upon to encounter untold privations and dangers; to 
undergo unremitting and exhausting labors; to sustain severe and disheartening 
reverses. How nobly your patriotism and zeal have responded to the call, the re- 
sults of the campaign will show, and your Commanding General gratefully bears 
witness. 

Q. A. GILLMORE, 
Official : Brigadier-General Commanding. 

Ed. , \Y. Smith, Assistant Adjutant-General^ 

Sept. 24. For his grand militaiy achievement General Gillmore was 
promoted to be a Major-General, and our batteries gave him a loud salute 
of thirteen guns. He chose the occasion for reviewing the troops on Mor- 
ris Island, and twent}'-two regiments, besides the artillery regiments and 
batteries, passed in review ; a grand sight, indeed, when the quality of the 
troops was considered, and the record the}' had made. After the salute 
had been fired, the General, with his brilliant staff, rode down the line, 
drums rolled, colors dipped, and the vast line presented arms. The artil- 
lery attracted special attention. General Terry then led the whole in 
review before the Major-General, the bands playing, and the troops march- 
ing in superb order. It was a proud day for the Commander and his war- 
worn, victorious, honored army. 

Sept. 26. Martin G. Thornton (Compan} r H), died, at Hilton Head. 

At the close of September our companies were located as follows : B, 
C, D, H, I, and M, in siege-work on Morris Island; the most of F, K, 
and L, holding the entrenchments on Hilton Head ; E, in Fort Mitchell, 
on Skulk Creek ; A, holding the entrenchments at Beaufort; G, in Fort 
Pulaski — the post commanded by Major Ames; and detachments from 
different companies, holding Fort Seward at Ba} r Point, and manning armed 
transports and gun-boats on picket. But our companies were frequently 
changing position, as the exigencies of the service required the use of our 
guns, or as our exhausted condition called for rest. 

Compan}- B, on Morris Island, wielded four ten-inch sea-coast mortars, 
with orders to throw 200 shell daily into Fort Sumter, " which duty," says 



190 



SHOT AND SHELL. 



[October, 



Captain Greene, " was performed, I hope, to the satisfaction of our Chief, 
if not to the enemy." 

Oct 3. Regretfully the regiment parted with Capt. Joseph J. Corn- 
stock, Jr., who resigned in order to accept a commission as Major of the 
Fourteenth Rhode Island Heavy Artillery. He joined us as a First 
Lieutenant Aug. 15, 1861, was the first Adjutant of our command, 
and was promoted to the rank of Captain March 11, 1862. His talents, 
culture, bravery, and devotion won for him an enviable rank in the esteem 
of our regiment. His after-record with the Fourteenth Regiment adds to 
his merited reputation. 

The command of the battalion on Morris Island now devolved upon 
Capt. R. G. Shaw, as senior captain, which position he held till the arrival 
of Maj. W. Ames, Nov. 22d. 




FORT SUMTER AFTER THE BOMBARDMENT. 



Oct. 5. Near 9 o'clock, at night, the " long-roll " swelled over the 
island ; all the troops were under arms, and our men stood to their heavy 
guns. The alarm was occasioned by smart musketry fire among the fleet 
in the outer harbor. An attempt was made by a cigar-shaped torpedo- 
steamer, fifty feet long and five feet beam, nearly submerged, to blow up 
the Ironsides. On its approach, giving no response when challenged, the 
deck sentinels fired, and so raised the alarm. The dark craft struck the 
Ironsides a heavy blow with its prow, under water, when the torpedo 
exploded, throwing up a huge column of water to the spar-deck and into 
the engine-room of the ship, but failing to cripple her ; meanwhile it 
extinguished the fires of the torpedo-boat, so that its commander, Lieu- 
tenant Glassell (formerly of the United States Navy), the fireman, and 
pilot jumped into the sea and were captured. The Ironsides had only a 
beam started, but her officer of the deck was mortally wounded. The 
torpedo-keel rekindled her fires and returned to Charleston. 



1863.] 



THIRD R. I. H. ARTILLERY. 



191 



Oct. 12. Lieut.-Col. John Frieze resigned his commission. He had 
shared some military experience before joining our command. He was 
commissioned as First Lieutenant of the First Light Artillery Dec. 24, 

1861. He joined us as a First Lieutenant Feb. 11, 1862; was ad- 
vanced to be Major Sept. 16, 1862, and was promoted to be Lieutenant- 
Colonel Jan. 14, 1863. His qualities won him position. 

The rebel front maintained a slow and steady cannonading — using, par- 
ticularly, mortars to annoy our working-parties on Cummings' Point ; but we 
steadil}' pushed on our engineering and fatigue-work reconstructing old 
Gregg, wherefrom to forward to our enemy our ponderous compliments. 

Oct. 20. Maj. Charles W. H. Day resigned his rank and place amongst 
us. He entered the service at the first opening of the Rebellion, receiving 
a commission as Captain in the First Rhode Island Detached Militia April 
18, 1861. Returning from that three months of service, he joined us, a 
Captain Aug. 17, 1861, and was promoted to the rank of Major Nov. 28 7 

1862. His name stands brightly on our roll. 

Of the services of Light Company C, on Morris Island, it should be 
recorded that double service was rendered by them — service by daj T and 
service b}^ night. Of the night pickets in Charleston harbor, they always 
furnished the gunners for the boat-howitzers , /while the infantry did the row- 
ing. They left the shores at dark and returned at daylight. Mairy a thrill- 
ing story can they tell. 

Oct. 21. Colonel Metcalf came up from Hilton Head, as he frequently 
had done, to look after the interests of the battalion and to inspect matters 
generally, on the stormy front. The battalion camp was now near the cen- 
tre of the island, near the former line of batteries, parallels, and saps, and 
was the most advanced camp on the island at this time. Occasionally a 
rebel shell plowed up the sand around our tents, and so kept up a tension 
of our nerves. We by no means liked the bellowing of the " Bull-of-the- 
Woods," south of Simkins, as it was furnished with a fine Brooke gun. 

The Beacon House — an old hospital — near the centre of the island,, 
now nearly demolished b} r the strokes of the enemy's guns and parties for- 
aging for tent-floors, was used by us as a lookout, and on its top was kept 
a telescope for viewing Charleston and the movements of the rebels on 
their front. 

Here we may copy paragraphs from the Chaplain's letters to the Provi- 
dence Journal : — 

" Oct. 22. Only two trees remain to indicate the cheerful shades that, 
once rested on these sea-born and wind-driven sands. Perhaps a little 
more than half of the island, the portion toward the inlet, is occupied by 
our camps and arnry supplies. The northwestern end, like the toe portion 
of the ox-shoe, is the especial seat of war, being pelted day and night by 
the rebel shells. Yet under this fire our men are toiling on heroically, and 
will be heard from in due time. The amount of work already accomplished 



192 shot and shell. [October, 

is truly wonderful. I wish, for the honor of our officers and men, I were 
permitted even now to tell the storj-. But we must yet keep hush. We 
are making, not writing, history. I wish every impatient grumbler at home 
could tread where I have trodden, through the marshy, boggy, sandy par- 
allels, over splinter-proofs, rolling saps, bristling moats, logs, torpedoes, 
and yawning shell-furrows, and through monstrous earthworks, more form- 
idable than the mightiest forts, thus dimly discovering through what perils 
and toils, what daring and death-beholding, our men have pressed back our 
foes, and are now making ready for a new onset ; their murmuring would 
give place to grateful tears. All honor to the men, to the dead and the 
living, who have wrought and fought so heroically on this island. One 
must tread this strange region and look for himself upon these scenes, the 
shoals and shores, the sands and creeks, the swamps and forests, the bays 
and batteries, the blazing fronts and forts, before he can form any just con- 
ceptions or pass any judgments. Ah, how impotent are pens, types, and 

wood-cuts ! As well may you put the 
roar of artillery or the ocean's an- 
them in a book, as to express the 
sublime doings and darings, and, I 
may add, dyings, that have taken 
place on Morris Island. I had 
thought myself familiar'with battle- 
fields and the weighty operations of 
war, but these developments utterly 
eclipse all nry previous experiences 
and observations. I marvel at the 
work done, the dangers braved, the 
ends achieved, and the plans now 
unfolding. 

" I have visited all parts of the island, the regiments, the batteries, the 
forts, the hospitals, the depots, the ruins of the light-house, the skeleton 
of the Beacon House, the old batteries that triumphed over the rebel strong- 
holds, the vicinity of the ' Swamp Angel,' the solemn grave-yards, and 
particularly the grave of Lieutenant Holbrook, where I could not restrain 
the warm flowing tears. Henceforth this island is peculiarly the property 
of the muse of history. But another chapter is yet to be opened, of 
which I am now wisely forbidden to speak. But for this prohibition I 
might tell you strange things of Wagner, Chatfield, and Gregg — Chatfield 
lies between Wagner and Gregg ; these three are assigned to Rhode Island 
companies. So the valiant Third Regiment, that has hitherto acted so 
conspicuously and bravely in the front, still occupies the post of peril and 
honor, and is to strike for new laurels and fresh sacrifices. Rhode Island 
cannot refuse to be proud of her Third Heavy Artillery till her bosom 
ceases to beat patriotically. 




BEACON HOUSE. 



1863.] 



THIRD R. I. H. ARTILLERY. 



193 



" I close these hasty field notes, listening to the bellowing of the insur- 
gent cannon, the bursting of shells over our working-parties, and the hum 
of our cheerful camps, and gazing, with a kind of awe-inspiring inquisitive- 
ness, upon Simkins, Johnson, Charleston, Pinkne}-, dilapidated Sumter, 
Bee, Moultrie, and Battery Beauregard. The Ironsides, the monitors, 
gun-boats, and a fair fleet are riding within the bar. Transports swing in 
the inlet. Heavy forces are busy on Folly Island. Let the country be 
patient and give us confidence. We fear no just criticisms, and only ask 
for men and courage. Providence is with us. 

" On the morning of the 23d inst. our fleet brought into their anchorage 
another splendid Clyde-built, side-wheeled, double-stacked, low-decked, 
drab-colored blockade-running steamer, wearing the English flag. So 
another of John Bull's neutral speculations has, like a defective shell, 
exploded prematurely. 

"During the night of the 2 2d two rebels deserted from the ruins of 
Sumter in a boat. Making their way to the Ironsides, they were a target 
for canister and shell from Sullivan's Island, but were picked up by our 
monitor on picket duty. The forts, Wagner, Chatfield and Gregg, received 
orders on the 23d to be in readiness for action at a moment's warning on 
and after the noon of the 24th. I may not say more than this at present. 
The Rhode Island boys have the front and you may trust them. An idea 
of the bomb-proofs of Wagner may be formed when I state that on my 
second visit to that prodigious work, I hitched my horse under one of those 
mighty shields. From Gregg our view of Charleston and the long, brist- 
ling, insurgent front is naturally grand and historically imposing. Hard 
and heroic work yet lies before us. 

"The camp of our battalion bears S. S. W from Fort Moultrie, which oc- 
casionalh 7 pronounces her most emphatic compliments, one of which ad- 
dresses my ears and eyes as I write this line. 

" Our surgeon, Dr. C. S. Burton, able and honored here in his import- 
ant profession, furnishes the following facts in his morning report of the 
battalion: 'Sick in hospital, 6; sick in quarters, 11; total, 17.' This 
speaks well for the health of our men. Dr. Burton's office here, since the 
1st of July, has been no sinecure ; he has stood by our men like a brother. 
His surgical operations have been many and highly creditable to his skill. 
In such a field of pedis and death-dealing, only the most accomplished sur- 
geons should be tolerated. In general the hospitals here are well arranged, 
and the sick and wounded receive good treatment. The wounded are 
usually treated on this island, and the severe cases of both sick and 
wounded are shortly transferred to Folly Island or to the general hospitals 
at Hilton Head and Beaufort. It ought to be mentioned that the Sanitary 
Commission, through their representatives here, are doing an important and 
praiseworthy work, going right into the front of the battles to bestow their 

13 



194 



SHOT AND SHELL. 



[October, 



labors and charities. The agents of the Christian Commission, by similar 
sacrifices, have won like praise." 

We copy from a private letter written by the Chaplain, as it somehow 
got into print : — 

"Moreis Island, S. C, Oct. 24, 1863. 

I am sitting in Captain Col well's tent, near the centre of this war-renowned 
island, the ocean rolling on one side and the rebels cannonading on the other. 
Captain Colwell is assigned to the command of Fort Chatfield — a new fort we 
have built between Wagner and Gregg — a strong-hold, indeed, and a post of 
honor. Among his ' pipes ' he mounts a 300-pounder Parrot. He will be ready- 
to smoke in a few days; indeed, he now waits orders to fire. 

The rebels are throwing shell, day and night, over our working-parties in and 
around the forts. 

The work done by our army is perfectly astounding. Only eye-witnesses can 
form an idea of the prodigious works of our spades, rifles, and cannon. Morris 
Island, with its forts, rifle-pits, parallels, flying saps, and monster batteries, is 
one mighty volume of thrilling history. 

The enemy are busy strengthening their works. I can see, by a glass, the 
negroes doing fatigue duty, also steamers transporting troops. 

I have been constantly on the wing, going to Fort Pulaski, Beaufort, Bay 
Point, Fort Mitchell, Fort Welles, on board gun-boats, and up the coast to these 
redeemed islands. I usually preach twice on a Sabbath; and, indeed, 'as I go, 
preach ' and distribute reading-matter. I carry my bed in a bag, and my wardrobe 
and books in my hand — a Baptist circuit preacher and army colporteur; some- 
times preaching to the ex-slaves and sometimes writing. 

But I must close. Heaven only knows the future. Duty is with us ; destiny is 
with God." 

At this time Captain Shaw (Company D), was in command of Fort 
Gregg, Captain Colwell (Company H) , in command of Fort Chatfield, and 
Captain Strahan (Company I), in command of Fort Wagner, with orders 
to be ready to open fire. 

Oct. 26. At noon these forts opened their fire, Captain Colwell pitch- 
ing the loud battle-tune with his 300-pounder. The principal target was 
Sumter. We drew the enemy's fire from James and Sullivan's Islands, 
and so we had thundering music again, such as human ears rarely take in. 

Fort Gregg now mounted one 200-pounder Parrot, two 100-pounder 
Parrots, four thirty-pounder Parrots, one ten-inch columbiad, and two 
ten-inch sea-coast howitzers. 

General Turner's orders were to fire our pieces " once in ten minutes 
each," using percussion and time-fuses as circumstances required. To the 
order he attached the following postscript of caution : — 

"Take every precaution of oiled sponges, white lead, s wedging, &c. " 

" The clamps are not to be screwed down any tighter than absolutely 
necessary to prevent capsizing." 

Details from infantry regiments — both white and colored — were made 
to assist us, and were employed chiefly in carrying ammunition^rom the 
magazines to the guns. Says Capt. R. G. Shaw, commanding Gregg : 
u The two companies of the New York Independent Battalion proved to 



1863.] 



THIRD R. I. H. ARTILLERY. 



195 



be efficient and rendered us a great deal of assistance ; they were, however, 
very unfortunate, as most of the casualties occurred amongst them." 

Please notice the handling of one of those guns. The piece has 
just recoiled from the last firing, and is out of battery ; it is instantly 
depressed to a level ; up step the spongers ; back and forth, with a rolling 
twist, goes the sponge, and it is withdrawn ; up rises the great bag-like 
cartridge and is entered ; quickly the rammers drive it home to the clean, 
moist, but warm chamber ; stout men, lift the great conical shell and pass 
it into the black lips of the monster ; again the rammers bend to their work 
and drive back the projectile upon the powder ; now the gunners heave the 
piece into battery ; the sergeant looks to and adjusts the training, right or 
left ; now he turns to secure again his proper and exact elevation, and 
makes his allowance for windage ; the primer is entered ; the lanyard is 
attached, and the gunner, standing behind the traverse, waits order. The 
officer cries : "Ready! Fire!" Hold your ears. Note the smoke — an 
aerial maelstrom and cataract, with voice of an earthquake. See that 
black spot traveling on its parabolic journey. Ha ! how smokes and 
tumbles the rebel wall. Up go the loyal cheers, and the boys pat their gun. 

Fort Chatfield mounted one 300-pounder Parrot, two 100-pounder Par- 
rotts, and two ten-inch sea-coast howitzers. 

Fort Wagner mounted one 200-pounder Parrott, five 100-pounder Par- 
rotts, two Napoleons, two ten-inch sea-coast mortars, and one eight-inch 
sea-coast howitzer en barbette. 

Surgeon G-. S. Burton at this time was Medical Inspector of Morris 
Island. The troops on the island consisted of five brigades besides our bat- 
talion, numbering about nine thousand men. 

Oct. 25. The fleet brought in a blockade-runner, having overhauled 
her in the night, and knocked her walking-beam clean overboard ; a luck- 
less investment for English pockets. 

Oct. 27. The battle blast was resumed at sunrise ; Charleston harbor 
and vicinity, rolled and rocked under the awful and almost deafening thun- 
ders. As on the preceding day, the navy came in as aids — the previous 
day the gun-boat Paul Jones and monitor Lehigh, this day three monitors. 
To one standing on the parapet of Wagner the sight was sublime. We 
fired mainly upon Sumter, dashing down the upright portions of the wall, 
and lifting bricks, mortar, sand, timbers, and splinters high into the air. 
Just before noon Captain Shaw, in Gregg, trained one of his 100-pounder 
Parrotts upon the city of Charleston, using St. Michael's church as his tar- 
get, and sent three shells, with fuses of thirty-five seconds, towards that 
rebel seat of commerce ; the first shell fell short for want of elevation ; two 
entered the city. His elevation was all the gun carriages would then allow, 
for he removed the elevating screw. Near noon one of the Captain's 100- 
pounders burst. In the afternoon the Captain sent a shell into Simkins that 
exploded a magazine or quantity of ammunition. 



196 



SHOT AND SHELL. 



[October, 



Oct. 28. During the preceding night a heavy shell from Simkins came 
into Gregg, and breaking through the entrance of the magazine killed one, 
severely wounded a second, and stunned a third man — all of the New York 
Independent Battalion, known as "The Lost Children." During the day 
two others were injured by shells in the same fort. In Wagner a member 
of the Second South Carolina Volunteers (colored) had his left leg shot 
off near the bodj r by a shell. These facts may indicate the hotness of the 
battle that raged day and night. The walls of Sumter were steadily 
tumbling to the sea. Our shots would bore huge holes and plow immense fur- 
rows in the face of the work. It was important to the rebels to hold Sumter 
on account of its relation to the obstructions and torpedoes in the harbor. 
Every morning its flag was run up, and every evening it was hauled down 
with a ceremonious sunset gun. 

Oct. 28. George Jefferson (Company D), died in New York city. 

Oct. 29. The earth and the air shook from the thunders of the siege. 
Two monitors assisted in the work during the afternoon. One Parrott gun 
burst ; another blew out at the breech. Our scarps and parapets were 
plowed by the foe. One shot struck inside of Wagner and badly demoral- 
ized a mule team. Corp. C. M. Core}^ (Company M), for the second time 
cut down the flag of Sumter ; the Corporal knew how to wear his chevrons. 
At sunset, just as the enenry had hauled down the flag of Sumter which 
had been re-raised, Sergt. W. H. Manchester (Company H), with the 300- 
pounder Parrott cut away the flag-staff. The times were hot and noisy on 
both sides of the lines. Here was some of the sharpest and best gunning 
the world ever knew. 

Oct. 26, 27, 28. During these three days our emphatic remarks upon 
Fort Sumter, from Fort Strong alone, footed up as follows : Six pieces — 
one 200 and five 100-pounder Parrotts, at an elevation of about seven 
degrees ; 8,916 pounds of powder, with noise and metal to correspond ; one 
gun exploded. 

Oct. 29,30. Our patriotic addresses were continued in their usual strain ; 
from Fort Strong to Sumter, 2,800 yards, five pieces engaged ; 6,690 pounds 
of powder with iron to suit ; another gun exploded. Such were the reso- 
lute and telling utterances of a single fort. It will be recollected that 'usu- 
ally one pound of powder hurls about ten pounds of projectile. 

Oct. 30. By General Gillmore, General Orders, No. 94, the new forts 
were permanently named, and the old captured forts were renamed. The 
fort on the south end of Folly Island, held by Company B, was called Fort 
Delafield ; the work on the north end of Folly Island was named Fort 
Greene ; the work on Oyster Point, on southwest part of Morris Island, 
was styled Battery Purviance, and was now held by Company M; the 
new heavy fortification near the middle of Morris Island was called Fort 
Shaw ; Wagner was renamed Fort Strong ; Gregg (Cummings' Point) was 
renamed Fort Putnam ; the new work between Wagner and Gregg was 
called Fort Chatfield ; two mortar batteries were located near Fort Chatfield, 



1863.] THIRD R. I. H. ARTILLERY. 197 

ready to open in a few days — one named Battery Barton, the other Battery 
Seymour — one for ten-inch, the other for thirteen-inch mortars. 

The following were the distances of important points from Fort Putnam 
on Cummings' Point : to Simkins, 2,200 yards ; to Johnson, 2,950 yards : to 
Charleston Battery, 6,710 yards ; to St. Michael's Church in Charleston, 
7,440 yards ; to Charleston wharves, 7,040 yards ; to wharves on line with 
Castle Pinckney, 7,800 yards; to Castle Pinckney, 5,510 yards; to Sumter, 
1,480 yards ; to Mount Pleasant Landing, 5,020 yards; to mouth of channel 
leading to Mount Pleasant Landing, 3,500 yards; to Battery Bee, 3,100 
yards; to mouth of channel leading behind Batter} 7 Bee, 3,500 yards; to 
Moultrie, 2,600 yards; from Putnam to Chatfield, 440 yards ; from Putnam 
to Strong, 1,100 yards. In our first attack on Sumter, when we silenced 
her barbettes and broke her gorge, our nearest battery — nearly west of the 
Beacon House — was 4,200 yards distant. 

Oct. 30. Two more of our 100-pounders burst, one in Strong and one 
in Chatfield. Two monitors assisted us in the afternoon. The enemy 
shelled Black Island. During the day Captain Colwell threw from his 300- 
pounder Parrott, 15,000 pounds of metal, using 1,500 pounds of powder, 
firing about sixty times — heavy work for one gun in one day, and heavy 
were the strokes on the enemy's front. Our officers and men had many 
very narrow escapes. They became very expert in detecting the path of 
the enemy's missiles, and in evading them by covering behind traverses and 
under bomb-proofs. 

Oct. 31. Battery Beauregard, on Sullivan's Island, east of Moultrie, 
opened fire on us for the first time, thus lengthening the fiery front. Two 
monitors aided us in the afternoon. The rebel shots glanced from them as 
pebbles from an alligator's back. Three more of our 100-pounder Parrotts 
burst, one in each fort, Putnam, Chatfield and Strong. Three times we 
cut away the flag of Sumter, once again by Sergt. W. H. Manchester, 
(Company H), once by the mortar part} 7 operating near Fort Chatfield; a 
rebel endeavoring to raise a new flag was killed in the attempt. 

For certain kinds of work — harrassing fatigue-parties, and reaching the 
inside of heavy fortifications — and within certain ranges, well-handled 
mortars were effective weapons. The extreme range of ten-inch sea-coast 
mortars was about 4,250 yards, reached by an elevation of the pieces of 
nearly forty-five degrees with ten pounds of suitable powder. By the way, 
our powder was coarse or fine according to the guns used ; that used in the 
heaviest rifles was about the size of walnuts. 

Captain Turner, with his thirteen-inch mortars, did not a little splendid 
firing on Sumter to prevent fatigue-parties from repairing damages — once 
firing all night, correcting his ranges by the flames of his shot as the} 7 burst 
and lighted up the work. The compliments he received for the order of 
his battery from the Chief of Artillery, were pinned on the door of his 
magazine. 



CHAPTER XXXVII. 



SHELLING THE CITY OF CHARLESTON. 

November — December, 1863. 



Secession's cradle rocks with fear. 

Though Morris Island had been captured and Fort Sumter had been 
reduced to a vast ruin, we were not satisfied. The forts on Sullivan's and 
James Islands were still strong, and the harbor was obstructed by torpe- 
does and chains and rafts. We now aimed to mar all these rebel works 
and, meanwhile, to introduce into the city of Charleston as much metal and 
fire as we could. Thus to hold in the fiery gripe of incessant siege the 
most important port of the Confederacy, was an incalculable disappoint- 
ment to the rebels and to their blockade-running English friends. 

Soon after commencing our systematic firing on Charleston from Forts 
Putnam and Chatfield, we had orders to fire ten shots during the night to 
aid the Charlestonians in their dreams. Once we were instructed to fire ten 
shots at midnight. No sooner had we opened our first gun than all 
the rebels' guns, including mortars, on Sullivan's and James Islands, simul- 
taneously responded, making a warm and lively time for us. Their gun- 
ners must have been at their posts, with lanyard in hand, waiting for our 
fire. To pa}- them off, the next day when they lowered their flag and fired 
their sunset gun on Sumter, we were ready with every gun on our front, 
and gave them an artillery chorus to be remembered. Those vespers were 
not sung in whispers. 

Nov. 1. Though the siege went on, the Chaplain preached to such of 
the battalion as were not on duty ; he also preached to the Fourth New 
Hampshire Volunteers. A deserter from Charleston reported that Sumter 
was held by about forty during the day, and 300 by night ; that on the 
29th of October our shots killed fourteen, and on the 31st eleven, in the 
fort ; four of the eleven being killed by one shot as they were raising their 
flag. We cut away the flag again, and the rebels dared not raise another. 

Nov. 2. General Gillmore frequently came to the front. General 
Turner was now Chief of Artillery. The engineers and working-parties 
were busy completing the forts and repairing the injuries inflicted by the 



1863.] 



THIRD R. I. H. ARTILLERY. 



199 



enemy's shots. Occasionally the rebel forts threw their shell over our 
camps in the middle of the island. We threw out a heavy grand guard 
every night to meet possible attacks. Sumter now looked more like a 
rude bluff or volcanic pile than like a fortification. Its strength and form 
had departed. We shot away two more flags from its ruins, and through 
the afternoon it remained flagless, though it had life enough to fire a 
feeble sunset gun. Three monitors aided us, and fired handsomely. 
During the preceding night Captain Ferris, of the New York Independent 
Batter}^ ("The Lost Children"), made a boat reconnoissance alone to 
Sumter, and found a line of the enemy's picket-boats from Moultrie to 
Sumter and thence up the harbor towards Charleston. During the night 
of this da} T Captain Ferris and six men made another visit to Sumter, and 
reached the crest of the work on the side of the gorge wall, where they 
received volleys from the rebel sharp-shooters that wounded two of the 
party. Sumter had no flag during the da}- . The work was steadily bow- 
ing to the water under the blows of 

our guns. Michael McKinna (Com- ^ ^=^if = ^ 



pany D) , was burned in his face and 
shocked by one of our guns in Put- 
nam. 

Nov. 2. Under this date, the Chap- 
lain, in the chapters of notes that he 
often sent to the Providence Journal, 
wrote as follows : — 

' ' History is being acted here in 
large characters and on a grand scale, 
yet the spot itself is the poorest of all 
places for writing either history or 




anything else. You may imagine army signal telegraph. 

your correspondent, perched on a little 

camp-stool, upon a sand-ridge, under a thin piece of flapping canvas, like 
a fly under a blade of grass, half-blinded by the driven sand, half-deafened 
by the thundering cannon, and half-exhausted by varied efforts along the 
battle front, endeavoring to gather up his distracted ideas and see if he 
can arrange them in any decent order. Not that one can be without ideas 
here ; the difficulty is in keeping them together in their logical and historical 
positions. In this respect I might compare myself to a single mule train 
that a few days since passed up to the front, during the heat of the action, 
with a load of supplies ; whereupon a rebel shot struck the cart squarely in 
the front, tearing it from the poor beast and the tackling, and dashing it in 
fragments along the ground, while the negro driver ran for dear life, leav- 
ing the bereft, unmoved mule to muse, as he soberly seemed to, on the 
mutability of human affairs. 

" In fact, one's sensibilities become blunted or benumbed after being for 



200 



SHOT AND SHELL. 



[November, 



a while in the midst of exciting scenes, intense operations, and the ceaseless 
breaking and rolling of mighty sounds. As the peasant may at last be 
quite indifferent to the shock of the mountain tempest, and the lowly 
cottager may be lulled to his slumbers by the roar of Niagara, so the 
soldier becomes accustomed to the fiery storms and awful music of fields of 
battle. As regiments and detachments pass my clerkly sand-knoll, going 
up to the front, under the enemy's fire, to work our guns, to repair the 
shot-ploughed breast-works, or to pace the beaches on picket duty, they 
cheerily march to the lively tune the}- whistle or sing as though they were 
bound on a pic-nic excursion. It is particularly interesting to listen to 
the colored soldiers, of whom there are three regiments on this island ; a 
fatigue party moves up the beach, the front rank mimicking buglers by 
blowing a wild air through their curved hands ; another detachment goes 
forward all whistling in concert, and making rich music, truly ; again a 
battalion advances to the front, singing in their own unrivalled manner, 
repeating the last lines with an indescribable pathos, songs like the fol- 
lowing : — 

' I've got my sword, 
I've got my gun ; * 
No man can hinder me, 
No man can hinder me.' 

" Though reporters and correspondents are wholesomely restrained by 
general orders from mentioning facts, figures, movements, labors, and 
plans, a knowledge of which might possibly be of advantage to the insur- 
gents, yet enough of incident and achievement remains to fill the little time 
and opportunity one may find for scribbling. Be assured this region is now 
appropriated to workers. Our own regiment on Saturda} T could not lay 
down their heavy weapons or appear on parade as usual on muster-days, 
but many of them were mustered at their monster guns, battering down 
the rebel front. 

" The operations of Saturday were a continuation of the heav} 7 efforts of 
the five preceding days, with a few modifications. Three flags and two flag- 
staves were cut from Sumter ; one of them was brought down by Sergt. W. H. 
Manchester (Company H), duplicating his stroke of Thursda}^; another was 
cut by our mortar -party ; a third was sent over the parapet by a shot from 
Company D. At least twenty feet of the gorge and sea walls have been car- 
ried away, and lie like loose fragments and sand rolling outward and inward 
to a level. The opposite faces are sharing the same fate. Such an immense, 
ragged ruin cannot be accurately described, and it is fast putting on a more 
unsightly aspect as it is rolling irreclaimably towards the floor within and 
the harbor bottom without. Two of the monitors shared in the action 
through the afternoon and even maintained their fight during the night, aim- 
ing constantly at Sumter, and utterly disregarding battery Beauregard on 
Sullivans' Island at the ease of Moultrie, though that battery struck up 
splendid jets around them and smote them twice with its shots. The ' web- 



1863.] 



THIRD R. I. H. ARTILLERY. 



201 



feet' were unharmed by the shower. Some have thought that more might 
have been done by the navy. We are no judges of that arm of the service. 
The army desires only to maintain a generous rivalry. Away with profitless 
criticisms and give us needed encouragements. We intend to make solid 
reports and achieve successes. On Saturday morning, near the south end 
of Folly Island, a sharp artillery dispute occurred, the result of which was 
that the rebels evacuated in great haste one of their advanced positions. 
We are expecting to touch a new string in the war strain, but I may not 
now tell the hour or the nature of the note. 

"We have just heard that our brave Capt. C. E. Brayton has been pro- 
moted to the Lieutenant-Colonelcy of our command. The hearty welcome 
of the regiment awaits him. He was heroic in the front during the fierce 
action that secured to us this island." 

The Charleston Mercury of Nov. 2d, stated that one shell from Fort Chat- 
field entered Sumter and broke the iron girder of a casemate, letting the 
arch fall, whereby fourteen men were killed. 

Capt. George Metcalf was promoted to the rank of Major, — • a deserved 
advancement, as he was one of the truest officers of our regiment. He was 
one of the first volunteers from Rhode Island, and was a private in the 
First Rhode Island Detached Militia. His coolness and bravery were re- 
vealed on the plains of Manassas. On the organization of our command 
he was appointed Second Lieutenant Oct. 9, 1861. He was promoted to 
First Lieutenant May 20, 1862, and advanced to be a Captain July 8, 1862. 
While serving as Major he was also on General Terry's staff as Assistant 
Chief of Artillery, and finally Chief of Artillery in the Northern District 
of the Department. In every position and rank that he filled, Major Met- 
calf was honored, and was an honor to the service of his country. Unfor- 
tunately he incurred a malarial disease from which he has greatly suffered 
ever since. 

Nov. 4. The enemy made no reply to our guns, which was strange r 
but we afterwards learned that on this day Jeff Davis visited the rebel 
works on James Island and all along the front. Sumter was battered into* 
a powerless heap ; not having a gun to bear on our front, Heard firing 
among the rebel troops on James Island — ma} 7 have been a salute to Jeff. 
Surgeon Burton performed the delicate work of opening the side of D. F. 
Bryant (Company H) , and removing a splinter of a rib that had been 
driven into his body. Learned that Captain Shaw had been promoted to 
be Major of the Fourteenth Rhode Island Heavy Artillery (colored), which 
was then being raised. 

Nov. 5. Captain Colwell reported that in the nine preceding clays he 
had used 19,000 pounds of powder and 147,000 pounds of metal. The 
new mortar battery near Chatfield, for Capt. A. E. Greene, who was 
the most expert of men with those guns, was nearly completed. Our guns 
killed, according to rebel reports, thirty-four men in Sumter on the first of 
this month. The enemy raised a new flag on the ruins. 



202 



SHOT AND SHELL. 



[November, 



Nov. 6. The staff and flag raised on Sumter were again cut down ; this 
time by a monitor's shot. 

Nov. 7. Lieutenant Barker, at Fort Purviance, sent a shot to Secession- 
ville in answer to a few rebel shots thrown at one of our transports coming 
up Folly River. This beautiful and strong battery mounted two twenty- 
pounder Parrots, and two forty-two-pounder sea-coast guns. Its chief 
object was to protect Light-house Inlet and the adjacent creeks. 

Nov. 8. Captain Greene, with his company (B) , left Fort Delafield on 
Folly Island and came up to occupy and operate the new mortar battery 
by the side of Fort Chatfield. 

Nov. 9. Lieutenant Bible (Company M), in Fort Putnam, with a ten- 
inch columbiad, dismounted the enemy's rifled piece in Simkins and inflicted 
severe damage, as we could see the rebels carrying off their comrades on 
stretchers. Lieutenant Barker with his company (M), was making ready 
to open fire with mortars from the refitted Swamp Angel Batter} 7 . 

It will be observed, from our records of our guns, and from the reports 
of the rebels in Sumter, that our firing was remarkably exact and effective. 
This was true not only of our rifled pieces, but also of our mortars. Better 
and heavier mortar practice the world never saw. Capt. A. E. Greene 
(Compan} 7 B), was our most expert gunner with his ten-inch pieces, and 
commanded the principal battery on the front, near Fort Chatfield, that threw 
our bombs into Sumter. On the heads of the rebels in that fort he often 
dropped two hundred of his huge, exploding missiles a day, rarely missing 
his point. The difficult} 7 of securing accurate work at a great distance 
with these ponderous, short, large-mouthed pieces will be appreciated by all 
artillerists. The high compliments, therefore, that our gunners received 
from General Gillmore and the members of his staff, were appreciated by 
us and by all the army. Captain Greene and his officers and men had a 
right to be proud of their work with mortars. 

The rebel records kept in Fort Sumter during the siege, and which fell 
into our hands after the close of the war, under date of Nov. 9th, had 
this entry : " Aggregate (shots) fired since the opening of the present bom- 
bardment (Oct. 26th to Nov. 9th), 9,306; struck, 7,700; missed, 1,606." 

When Col. William Barton (Forty-eighth New York Volunteers) came 
into command, for a time, of all the forces at Hilton Head, Fort Pulaski 
and Tybee Island, under date of November 11th, he issued his general 
order, and appointed our valued Adjutant, Lieut. G. 0. Gorton, his Acting- 
Assistant Adjutant-General. 

Nov. 10. Company E, from Fort Mitchell on Hilton Head, reached 
Morris Island in the night, having been ordered to man and operate one of 
the mortar batteries near Fort Chatfield ; and their battery was to use some 
thirteen-inch mortars, weighing about nine tons. Capt. P. J. Turner, 
who had been Acting Division Quartermaster on General Terry's staff, -re- 
sumed command of the company. 



1863.] 



THIRD R. I. H. ARTILLERY. 



203 



A solid shot from Simkins struck John Nickerson (Company D) , in 
Fort Putnam, producing a compound, comminuted fracture of his right leg 
and extending the injury into the knee, so that his leg was immediately 
amputated above the knee. At the close of the skillfully performed opera- 
tion, Surgeon Burton, holding up the limb, said: "There it is John." 
The brave man answered : "I give it to the Union." 

In the afternoon James Havens (Company B), died of quick consump- 
tion in our hospital ; his father (of the same company) was with him. His 
death was as a sleep. He was buried on the following day with a soldier's 
honors in the new Soldiers' Cemetery near the south end of the island. 

Again we cut down Sumter's flag. 

We may here give extracts from the Charleston Courier : — 

" During Friday night (11th), the enemy's fire was chiefly maintained by Bat- 
tery Gregg and his mortar on Gumming' s Point Battery, Sixty-eight shots were 
fired, but eight of which missed and passed over, making an aggregate of 1,120 
shots fired in twenty-four hours. 

At 3 o'clock on Saturday morning (12th), a deplorable disaster occurred, re- 
sulting in the instant death of thirteen of the heroic garrison, detailed and posted 
in the barracks, near the sea-wall, in readiness for immediately mounting to the 
crest, in case of an attack from the outside. The melancholy occurrance was 
caused by a 300-pounder Parrott shell striking an iron girder in the sea-wall of 
the barracks, caving in the roof, and crushing and burying the men beneath the 
ruins. The position was considered comparatively safe, the roof having pre- 
viously resisted the continual shocks of the falling debris. 

This painful news reached the city at an early hour Saturday morning, and 
created a general feeling of sadness and depression in the community. The brave 
and gallant men, so suddenly cut off, were mostly all natives and residents of this 
city, and their deaths have brought mourning to a large number of households 
and distressed relatives and friends. The bodies were brought to the city Satur- 
day evening and taken possession of by their respective families. On Sunday 
afternoon the funerals took place from the various residences of the deceased, 
followed by large crowds of sorrowing relatives and sympathizing friends. The 
scene in Tradd street, where the funeral processions followed in succession, was 
peculiar and painful to witness. The bereaved families lived side by side. 

On Saturday the bombardment again raged furiously. A steady fire was kept 
up by the monitors, two heavy and two light rifled guns at Gregg, three heavy 
rifled guns and four ten-inch mortars at the Middle Battery, and four rifled guns 
at Wagner. Four hundred and forty-three rifled shots were fired from the land 
batteries, of which sixty-one missed ; eighty-six from the monitors, all of which 
struck ; and 373 from the mortars, of which 120 missed. 

The flag-staff was shot away twice Saturday, and replaced by Sergeant Graham, 
Corporal Hill, and Private Swain, all of the Twelfth Georgia Battalion. 

On Sunday (13th), the firing continued hot and heavy." 

Nov. 15. Our companies, at this time, were as follows: Eight on 
the front in the siege of Charleston ; one in Fort Pulaski ; detachments in 
Forts Welles and Seward, at Port Royal, and on the gun-boat Mayflower ; 
the remainder in the intrenchments at Hilton Head. 

Fort Putnam sent nineteen weighty and musical addresses to the 



204 shot and shell [November, 

Charlestonians. The distance, in a direct line, to the city was above four 
miles ; the path of the missiles was about six miles — quite a Yankee leap. 
Charleston, at this time, was a poor place for tender nerves. 

Nov. 19. Captain Hamner (Company A), led in the night a recon- 
noitering party to demolished Sumter, and found it still held by a band of 
sharp-shooters, using Whitworth rifles. The severe cannonading con- 
tinued, and Fort Chatfield threw fourteen 100-pound shells into the city. 

During the month of November we had a very acceptable visit from 
the Allotment Commissioner of Rhode Island, Col. A. D. Smith, 3d, and 
Major Langworthy, his assistant. By the wa}^, the Allotment Commissions- 
devised by Rhode Island for the benefit of her soldiers in the field, was the 
first system of its kind devised in the country ; and, as soon as understood, 
was copied by nearly all the loyal States ; a system that saved a great 
deal of money and anxiety for the soldiers. 

Nov. 22. Maj. G. Metcalf was still Inspector of the Department at 
Hilton Head. Major Ames was summoned from Fort Pulaski, where he 
had been in command since July 1st, to assist General Ter^, on Morris 
Island. Lieutenant-Colonel Brayton had the command of our battalion on 
the front. Col. E. Metcalf was now assigned to the command of the 
forces at the mouth of the Savannah, with head-quarters at Fort Pulaski, 
which took the official head-quarters of our regiment to that place on the 
25th of November. 

Our Allotment Commissioner, Col. A. D. Smith, 3d, desirous of visiting 
the front and looking on the opposing line of pickets in the vicinity of 
Skulk Creek, was furnished with a horse, and accompanied the officer of 
the day. The sections of our line were held by men from different regi- 
ments, some of them wearing the Zouave uniform. As Colonel Smith 
paused at one picket-post to make inquiries and look upon the rebel front, 
not recognizing the picket as belonging to any regiment that he had seen, 
he very properly inquired, " To what State do you belong? " The picket, 
standing in full soldierly position, promptly responded : "J belong to the 
United States" The Colonel lifted his cap to the picket, and allowed 
that his idea was the aptest thing he had heard in the Department. 

Nov. 18. James D. Havens (Company B), died on Morris Island. 

Nov. 21. Martin S. Howe (Company M), died on Morris Island. 

Nov. 26. Thanksgiving Day, but no home- circle, no family gatherings, 
no dear church worship, no overflowing store, no ample table, no domestic 
gratulations and sweet reunions — only the tented field, the fiery siege, the 
vigilant watch, the privations, severities and perils of war ; but thankful 
we all were that we had a country too noble to be sacrificed to slavery, and 
that we had hearts to defend it. 

Adjt. G. 0. Gorton, who had been serving as Post Adjutant at Hilton 
Head, was relieved to resume his duties with the regiment and joined the 
head-quarters at Fort Pulaski. Lieutenant-Colonel Brayton was appointed 



1863.] 



THIRD R. I. H. ARTILLERY. 



205 



Chief of Artillery for Morris Island on General Terry's staff. Our sick list 
at this time, on Morris Island, was only two per. cent, of our roll. 

Nov. 30. Cold and windy night, top of the ground frozen, ice as thick 
as window glass in basins and buckets ; no further fear of tropical fevers. 
John Niekerson (Company D) , who lost his leg on the 10th, died in the 
General Hospital at Beaufort. 

Our light battery, Company C, by order, left Morris Island for Folly 
Island Nov. 1st, to join the forces under Schemmelfennig, to make an 
advance on John's Island. On the 2d they crossed over to Kiawa Island, 
and landed on the 3d, and moA r ed about two miles, to a sort of fort, where 
on the 5th they put their three guns into position. 

Nov. 11. They lost one horse in the quicksands of the creek, as a party 
were out cutting poles. 

Nov. 14. Left camp at 3 o'clock, a. m., and marched to Vanderhoof's 
plantation. 

Nov. 15. At midnight left for Seabrook Island ; at daylight put our 
guns into position ; heard firing about 3 p. m. ; opened with our guns ; 
The infantry crossed about 5 p. m., and moved to our old camp ; marched 
all night. 

Nov. 16. Reached our old camp safe and sound. 

Dec. 4. On Kiawa Island, south of Stono Inlet, three of our men, 
Corporal A. W. Guild and E. D. Whitcomb (Company C), and I. A. Pot- 
ter (Company B), in disobedience of orders, venturing too far towards the 
rebel lines, were captured. These men belonged to our light battery sta- 
tioned here to guard our rear and right flank as occasion might require. 
Indifference to danger proved to be their great fault. They were impris- 
oned in Richland Jail, Columbia, S. C. 

The rebel records kept in Fort Sumter under date of Dec. 12th read 
thus : — 

At 9.30 yesterday morning (11th), the southwest magazine exploded: — 

Killed, . 11 

Wounded, 41 

Total; 52 

Laughable events would occasionally occur to relieve our facial muscles 
from the tension of anxiety. One day Major Ames, Lieutenant Bible and 
a little squad of officers, on horses, visited Fort Putnam. As they rode 
up along the beach their ' ' misguided southern brethren" saw their oppor- 
tunity for salutation and had their guns trained for opening. When the 
party left Putnam on their return, they galloped down the beach towards 
Chatfield. Moultrie opened instantly and briskly. This naturally quick- 
ened the pace of our part}', and we anxiously watched from the forts. As 
on our officers clashed, a rebel shell struck just before them and plowed a 
deep furrow across their path. The fore feet of the first horse struck into 



206 



SHOT AND SHELL. 



[December, 



this deep furrow, and away headlong went horse and rider into the ditch and 
sand, and the rest of the squad tumbled heels over head into the same trap, 
making a magnificent military corned}'. 

Dec. 6. Alas ! the brave monitor Weehawken foundered in the raging 
gale as she lay at her anchorage off Morris Island, close in shore, in full 
view from our camps, and carried down with her twenty gallant officers and 
seamen. So sudden was her foundering, and so heavy the sea, that all 
efforts for her relief were unavailing. It was supposed that the waves break- 
ing over her, through her forward hatch, filled her compartments before her 
pumps could be started. The gale did considerable injury to the sea 
front of Morris Island, and sapped to some extent the eastern bastion of 
Fort Strong (old Wagner) . 

Dec. 10. James D. Barbour (Companj^ E), died on Morris Island. 

Dec. 18. Patrick Kallaher (Companj^ I), died on Morris Island. 

With one of our army-navy crafts — a kind of amphibious vessel — the 
rebel lookouts were exceeding^ perplexed, not knowing what to call her or 
how to report her. She was now among the iron-clads and transports, and 
now in the inlets, high and dry on the beach. She was a huge steam- 
scow, named Dirigo, with side wheels and a high, Herculean derrick. Her 
mission was to take our mammoth guns from the decks of the transports 
.and bring them into Light-house Inlet, where, at full tide, she would run 
up on the Morris Island sand-beach, and then, at low tide, lift and deliver 
the guns to our monster sling-carts. We think she came down to us from 
North Carolina, where she had played a similar loyal part in the national 
drama. 

Dec. 18. Company A, that had left Camp Burnside — their old camp 
at Beaufort — Nov. 14th, and reached Morris Island Nov. 16th, encamp- 
ing on the extreme front, to assist our other companies, were now put in 
charge of the guns at Fort Putnam. On this day their firing on the city 
greatly exasperated the enemy, and induced a concentrated fire upon our 
men. A mortar shell from Johnson struck on the top of our bomb-proof 
and went through the earth, and just stopped on the railroad bars that 
formed the top, and remained wedged between the bars. Dudley Sisson, 
who was lying directly under it, remarked: " I don't like that joke very 
well ; it is rough that a fellow can't he down in peace in a bomb-proof, for 
a few minutes, at least." But he shook himself from the sand and enjoyed 
the laugh that his comrades had at his expense. 

Dec. 24. "'Twas the night before Christmas," but all in the house 
was stirring as livery as a cat for a mouse. We were hurling shell and our 
Yankee sort of Greek fire into the city of Charleston. We sent a shell every 
five minutes from our 200-pounder Parrotts in Fort Chatfield. This music 
kept up an animated dance among the rebels, and they answered us to the 
best of their ability. About midnight we could see three fires in the city ; 
two of them quite close together, and within the range of our pieces. We 



1863.] 



THIRD R. I. H. ARTILLERY. 



207 



inferred, what we afterwards learned, that our shells had occasioned the 
conflagration, at least in part, and the Charlestonians had a severe task in 
subduing the flames. This loss to the city was a very heavy one. 

In the siege operations in 1863, the returns showed that we expended 
twenty-four Parrott guns. We also expended 46,175 sand-bags; about 
500 wattle gabions ; fifty iron gabions ; seven sap-rollers filled with fascines ;. 
three sap-rollers filled with cotton ; 12,382 feet of boards and planks. 
The saps approaching Fort Wagner, if in a straight line, would have 
exceeded a mile. They were four feet wide and two feet deep. Three- 
fourths of the work was executed in the night, and nine-tenths of it under 
fire of artillery and sharp-shooters. The sap-rollers — nine feet long and 
four feet in diameter, weighing about 2,000 pounds — were moved about 
six inches at a time. About one-half of the work was performed by colored 
troops. About 200 men were engaged at a time ; reliefs were frequent. 
The more exposed work continued about fifty days, and we lost 150 men. 



CHAPTER XXXVIII. 



SONGS OF THE FREEDMEN. 



December, 1863. 



Heaven's stars illume the bondman's path. 



Possibly it may be as much a relief to the reader of our history as it 
was to us on the front, to turn away for a few moments from the blaze and 
thunder of heavy guns, to listen to some of the rude but devout songs of 
the host of negroes who had just escaped from the house of bondage. 
And we are the more anxious to preserve some of these quaint and ringing 
lyrics from the fact that, before the full light of freedom and education, 
they soon will have passed away forever. They are the relics of slavery. 
Those who composed them sat in darkness and sang as best they could. 

Listening to the ex-slaves within our lines as they united in their praise 
meetings, we wrote down a few of their songs, thus : — 



" De man dat keep de ferry, 
His name be Simon Peter ; 
He'll land us ober Jordan, by and by ; 
Shake nans, believers, shake hans, 
Shake hans f oreber, by and by. 

it. 

Don't stay away believers, 

Don't stay away ; 
Dere's room enuf , room enuf , 
Room enuf in heaben for you ; 
Don't stay away ; 
Starry crown in heaben for you, 
Starry crown in heaben for you, 
Starry crown in heaben for you, 
Don't stay away. 

in. 

I want to get to heaben when I die, 
To hear sweet Jordan roll ; roll ! Jordan, roll ! 
Roll ! Jordan, roll ! 

I want to get to heaben when I die, 
To hear sweet Jordan roll, etc. 



When I was sinkin down, 
Sinkin down, 



Beneath God's righteous frown, 
Christ laid aside his crown 
For my soul — for my soul — 
Christ laid aside his crown 
For my soul, 
v. 

My old fader's ben gone, 
Ben gone to Calvary so long, 
He don't min trubles here below, 
He sat on Zion's hill. 



I've been in de vally so long, 

I hant got weary yet, 
I've been in de vally so long, 

I hant got weary yet, 
Hold out sisters ; hold outbrudders ; 

Hold out to de end. 

VII. 

De gospel ship 's a sailin 

An I wants to go ; 
De gospel ship 's a sailin 

An I wants to go ; 
Breddren a long time wondrin, 

It's how I am to go ; 
Good Lord to enter in 

De new Jerusalem. 



1863.] 



THIRD R. I. H. ARTILLERY. 



209 



vin. 

I'm listed and I'm boun, 
I'm determin to find 

De soldier ob de Jubilee ; 

I'm listed an I'm boun, 
I'm determin to find 

De soldier ob de cross. 

I'm a climbin Jacob's ladder. 



I'm climbin way from sin ; 
I'm listed an I'm boun, 
I'm determin to find 
Do soldier ob de Jubilee. 

IX. 

Blow we de gospel's trumpet 

To soun de Jubilee, 
Blow we de gospel's trumpet 

To soun de Jubilee. 



Some of their songs contained strong moral point, thus : — 



No backbiters can jine us in dis army, 
No backbiters can jine us in dis army, 

Alter de Lord. 
You mus humble yousels to jine us in dis 
army, 

You mus humble yousels to jine us in dis 
army, 

After de Lord. 
You mus ni your ways to jine us in dis army. 
You mus ni your ways to jine us in dis army, 

After de Lord. 
No game-makers shall jine us in dis army, 
No game-makers shall jine us in dis army, 

After de Lord. 



Believers we haint come to stay 
Dis land is a borrowed land, 
Dis land is a borrowed land, 
Dis land is a borrowed land. 
My Lord take away 
De sin ob de world. 



XII. 

Good news ! Good news ! 
De angels brot de tidings down ; 

Good news ! Good news ! 
I'm glad I hear from heben to-day : 
My Lord sent glad tidings down ; 

Good news ! Good news ! 
I'm glad I hear from heben to-day ; 
My Lord sent glad tidings down. 

XIII. 

Why do you weep ? 
Why do you mourn so slow? 
O, one of Zion's travelers 
Has gone along before. 
O, weepin' Mary, weep no more, 

Weep no more ; 
Weepin' Mary, weep no more, 

Weep no more ; 
Sittin' on de golden altar, 
Sittin' on de golden altar, 
Sittin' on de golden altar, 
Sittin' on de golden altar, 
To view de promise land." 



1 Abe-er-reham Linkum calls for freedom 

On Souf Carolina shore ; 
Abe-er-reham Linkum calls for freedom 

On Souf Carolina shore. 



Some of the members of the First South Carolina Volunteers (Colonel 
Higginson) , had a semi-sacred song, to an air analogous to the favorite 
John Brown melody. While they were with us on Morris Island, our men 
were fond of listening to their strain : — 

He will have freedom, 
He will have freedom, 
On Souf Carolina shore. 
Glory ! glory hallelujah, etc." 

At Fort Pulaski, the bands of freedmen outside of the fort, after their 
wont, celebrated their Christmas eve by special pra}-er, thanksgiving, and 
song, keeping up the devotional exercises in a rude but earnest way, with 
a predominance of song, through the entire night. Here their quaint melo- 
dies played their large and animated part. Occasionally they introduced 
hymns of a higher order, obtained by memory in the meetings of their old 
masters. But for the seriousness of the subject, this religious carnival 
among these new-born freedmen would have been well-nigh ludicrous. They 
had a superstition, very strongly held, tha^ at midnight on Christmas eve, 
all animals — oxen, cows, mules, horses and sheep, and in fact all others 
on earth — as b} T an inspiration kneel down and bellow or bleat, or moan in 
a sort of adoration, thanksgiving and praise, in recognition and celebra- 
tion of the birth of the world's Deliverer, the Savior of the lost. Of the 
history of this superstition we were never informed. 
14 



CHAPTER XXXIX. 



WINTER IN FOET PULASKI. 
December, 1863. 



Camps share the sunshine and the clouds. 

Mere garrison duty is always tame and monotonous ; the same is true 
of holding intrenchments. Men long confined within earthworks or fortifi- 
cations become restless and dissatisfied ; soldiers desire activity and variety ; 
they prefer the perils of the field to the ennui of the camp. It was neces- 
sar} 7- , however, to occasionally change our troops from one post to another. 
Our men were anxious to be on the front. 

Our December returns reported Company A on Folly Island ; C at Hil- 
ton Head ; F, on Tybee Island ; G, K, L, in Fort Pulaski ; B, D, E, H, I, 
M, on Morris Island. 

Dec. 5. Our companies on Hilton Head took steamer ' ' Escort " for Fort 
Pulaski, and entered upon garrison duty. Reached the fort in the morning ; 
at noon fired a national salute — thirty-four guns — in honor of General 
Grant's victories at Chattanooga. 

Dec. 13. Early this morning five rebel soldiers of the First Georgia 
Regiment — having deserted from Battery Bartow, south of Fort Jackson 
on St. Augustine Creek — reached us in a dug-out. They were a ragged, 
hungr}' party, thoroughly sick of the Southern Confederacy. Their baggy 
clothes were coarse, uncolored, undressed homespun. The poor fellows 
were happy in again coming under the national flag. The Chaplain organ- 
ized a post reading-room and post library in his quarters, in the gorge wall, 
and hung out his large card, " Call In," and held religious services, not only 
with the garrison, but also among the freedmen who clustered on the island. 

We all remember with pleasure and almost with veneration, the tall, 
well-proportioned, opened-faced, gra} T -headed, kind, and intelligent, old 
negro, called " Uncle Peter." His wise and faithful services at the post as 
a fisherman and helper in all things, and his true piety and good advice to 
all, gave him a place of honor. We still see him deftly throwing, in the 
ditch of the fort, his cast net for shrimps, and hear him speak his words of 
kindness to us all. As we always saluted him : " How do you do, Uncle 



1- •] 



THIRD R. I. H. ARTILLERY. 



211 



Peter? " he always replied : " Thank God for life, massa." He reached us 
by descending the Savannah river, standing on a huge log, his white hairs 
stirred by the wind, fearing, he said, not the alligators but the sharks. 
What a picture for an artist or a poet — hoary slavery descending on the 
waves of war into the safe and strong lines of Freedom. One of his sons 
escaped, enlisted in Colonel Montgomery's regiment, and fell in the service. 

When Fort Pulaski was captured, we found in the demilune, in the 
rear of the' furnace for heating shot, a small fire-engine that had been 
brought down by the rebels from Savannah for use in case of a fire in the 
work. Of this engine, Adjutant Gorton tells the following story : After he 
reached the fort with our head-quarters, and before he had fully explored 
the mysteries of the place, though he had learned of racoons and minks 
on the island, "early one pleasant morning the Chaplain in an excited 
manner, rapped at his quarters and exclaimed : ' Get your gun, Adjutant ! 
A wild-cat in the demilune ! Get your gun, quick ! ' Gun in hand, he rushed 
out into the demilune where the Chaplain coolly pointed him to the fire-en- 
gine that in gilt letters bore the name, 'Wild Cat, No. I.'" The Adjutant 
was just the man to enjoy the joke. 

Dec. 18. We could not forget or neglect the graves of our fallen com- 
rades. Six of our command — the four of Company B mentioned as 
killed soon after the capture of the fort, and C. Morgan (Company B), 
who died June 8, 1862, and S. H. Stewart (Company G), who died July 
30, 1863 — with the dead of New York and Connecticut, were buried just 
outside of the fort on the north side of the demilune. As a memorial to 
mark the spot, we took the rebel eight-inch cannon, named the Zollicoffer, 
made at the Tredegar Works in 1861, weighing about five tons, which was 
broken by one of our shots during the reduction of the fort, and planted it 
in an inverted position, as a monument in the centre of the little cemetery 
among the well-lettered head-boards. 

Two deserters from Company F, of the Sixty-third Georgia Regiment, 
in Battery Thunderbolt, who were sent out on picket, escaped in a dug-out 
and reached our lines on Tybee Island. They brought in their arms. 

Little chapters of thrilling interest might be introduced into our record 
relative to what we saw and heard of deserters from the rebel front. On 
one occasion a boat load came in from "Battery Thunderbolt" minus 
their shirts, which they had taken off and tied into the rowlocks to muffle 
their oars. 

Many of the escaping negroes suffered greatly in passing the rebel lines 
and feeling their way across the vast marshes to our outposts. In some 
cases for many days they subsisted on oysters and grass, and slept among 
the reeds. 

Our men will recollect many nights of anxious and painful vigil spent 
on the armed transports, on picket along Skulk Creek and up the various 
winding inlets, watching and warding off the wily movements of the sleep- 
less foe. 



212 



SHOT AND SHELL. 



[December, 



We all remember the cheerful, capable, energetic, gallant Capt. Robert 
I. Getty, commander of the armed transport Plato, on board which detach- 
ments of our regiment served, during a large part of the war, on various 
expeditions and in picket service on the sounds and up the bayous and 
rivers. We almost regarded the companionable and plucky Captain and 
his steamer as belonging to our regiment. We wish we might again listen 
to the Captain's pithy stories and hear his hearty laugh. 

With the officers of the blockading vessels along the coast, and par- 
ticularly with those of the gun-boats that la} 7 in Tybee Roads, we all main- 
tained the most kindly and fraternal relations. 

We copy from the New South a brief article sent to its columns by the 
Chaplain, under date, Fort Pulaski, Ga., Dec. 26, 1863 : — 

"The fellowship of the army /and navy at this post is worthy of all 
praise — confreres in heart and yoke-fellows in service. The Unadilla, 
gun-boat under Commander Johnson, has been stationed in the Roads for 
months. Of late the steam-bark Dai-Ching, Commander Chaplin, has 
added her cheerful company. The forces on Tybee Island are doing 
faithful outpost duty. We are happy to announce the successful undertak- 
ing and readjustment of the telegraphic cable (leading to Hilton Head), 
that lets our darkness out, and lets the light of the outside in for the cheer 
of our lonesome hours. Our work, however, banishes melancholy. Our 
evenings are relieved b} T our pleasant reading-room, our post library, 
singing-school, social circles, the entertainments of song, declamation, 
comedy, and tragedy, brought out with effect upon the boards by our Eagle 
Opera Troupe ; while the odd moments are devoted to friendly and love- 
bidden correspondence. Thus the winter evenings within the walls of 
Pulaski, and under the decks on the turbid tides of Tybee Roads, are 
made to gleam with intelligence and gladness. And on Christmas Pay, 
for the adornment of quarters and various beautiful sj'mbolic representa- 
tions, the adjacent islands contributed their flowers and evergreens, and 
the " Happy" day — suggestive of the birth of all great events — received 
some fitting consideration. Viands, sentiments, and innocent mirth-mak- 
ing, after the manner of our remembered northern homes, were not 
omitted. And in view of the great events now passing — the new birth of 
Freedom in our land, the wisdom of our legislation and the achievement 
of our arms — we sang, more in heart than tongue could express, devout 
and patriotic Christinas carols." 

Of the Eagle Opera Troupe, alluded to above, we may add that it was 
organized with the consent of the officers of the post, and held its per- 
formances in one of the large rooms in the gorge wall of the fort, on the 
left of the sally-port, near the magazine. Their programmes were set in 
type in the fort, and circulated a la New York or Providence. It may be 
the boys will justify us in inserting a couple of these printed bills, though 
we condense the lines : — 



1863.] 



THIRD R. I. H. ARTILLERY. 



213 



A Concert will be given by the Eagle Opeba Tboupe at Fobt Pulaski, 
Ga., Thursday Evening, Dec. 10, 1863. 
Programme. 



Part I. 

Overture Orchestra. 

Opening Chorus Company. 

Pompey Snow Angell. 

Angelina Baker Yeaw. 

Nancy Till Bray ton. 

Kitty Wells Perkins. 

Going to the Shocking Brayton and 

Angell. 

Railroad Smash-Up Company. 



Part II. 

Yiolin Solo Slocum. 

Comic Song Freeman. 

Stump Speech .Perkins. 

Song and Dance Angell. 

Gluckison and his Son Brayton and 

Angell. 

Part III. 

Lucy Long Company. 

Quartette Company. 



Nigger in the Bag! 
The whole to conclude with 

The Masquerade Ball ! 
Doors open at 6 o'clock, p. m. — Commence at 6 1-2 p. m. 
Admission Free . 



A Grand New Year's Concert will by given by The Eagle Opera 
Troupe, at Fort Pulaski, Ga., New Year's Evening, Jan. 1, 1864. 

Programme. 



Part I. 

Overture Company. 

Opening Chorus Troupe. 

Annie with the Veil Keating. 

The Darkies Sigh Brayton. 

Bonny Jean Lewis. 

Folks that put on Airs Freeman 

Dearest Spot of Earth Weld. 

Don't ax me dat Agin Angell. 

Railroad Smash-Up Company. 

Ballad Lewis. 



Part II. 

Gobble Family Freeman, Babcock, 

and Brayton. 

Comic Song Freeman. 

Recruiting Office Company. 

Comic Song Keating. 

Part III. 

Burlesque Oration Freeman. 

Quartette Babcock, Weld, Keating, 

and Lewis. 



The whole to conclude with the 
Sham Doctor. 

The boys may recall Angell's original song, with the refrain: " When 
the Third R. I. gets under way," with the dance to u Whack fal de ral, &c." 

Dec. 29. Under this date the Chaplain wrote to the Providence 
Journal: "The last of December; and yet we have just gathered >a 
bouquet and a basket of fruit on the island ; the flowers have tender, golden 
tints ; and the fruit — the prickly pear — is deep ruby without and within. 
We have also the fruit of the superior species of the Spanish bayonet 
{yucca gloriosa), shaped much like the bananna, with dark red pericarp, a 
black jelly pulp, and numerous beautiful disc-shaped seeds. These fruits 
are counted as remedies for southern diseases. So we enjo} T the charms of 
Flora and Pomona even in the winter. 



214 



SHOT AND SHELL. 



[December, 



"The Surgeon of the post, Dr. J. W. Grosvener, of our regiment, 
combines with his professional skill and happy accomplishments, the taste 
and research of a botanist. His herbarium, collected at odd hours, is a 
rare collection, representing the flora of the Sea Islands. He is at home 
with flowers and poetry as well as with medical treatise and surgical 
instruments. Thus, with the watchfulness of outpost and garrison duty, 
the Yankees here are not forgetful of the beauties and wealth of the mate- 
rial world, or the higher unfoldings of the world within. It is a part of our 
faith that 

The world 's a school-room fitted up for man, 
And life 's a school term on the grandest'plan ; 

and we practice according to our faith. We read papers ; stud}* military 
treatises ; draw diagrams of fortifications ; analyze trees, shrubs, and 
plants ; pore over conchology, ichthyolog} 7 , and ornithology ; exercise our- 
selves in singing and in the histrionic art ; observe the holidays with 
liberal viands, decorations of evergreens, and hearty social cheer. By 
ingenuity our isolation is made to contribute to new modes of enjoj'ment 
and edification. One thing, however, we cannot do ; we cannot create 
home scenes in a garrison. But we report ourselves, as do the sentinels 
pacing their beats on the ramparts at night, announcing the post, the 
hour, and the situation : -Post 1 ; 12 o'clock ; and all is well.'" 

Adjt. G. O. Gorton recalls certain incidents that occurred while our 
head-quarters were at Fort Pulaski. As the Forty-eighth New York were 
about to leave the post in some haste, the}* turned over certain stores to 
our Quartermaster, F. A. Wilcoxson, among which, as the papers and 
marks read, were two barrels of whiske}*, but which, on after examination, 
proved to be only water, as the boys of the Fort} r -eighth had slyLy effected 
the change. " But," sa}*s Adjutant Gorton, " was Fred equal to the emer- 
gency? You bet [B] was weak for some time." Fred subsequently 
turned over to Lieutenant Curtis two goats for sheep. 

This recalls another of the Adjutant's stories. General Gillmore sent 
down for nine bushels of 0}*sters, to be forwarded to Hilton Head for an 
entertainment. The tug would shortty call for them. We read the 
dispatch nine barrels. There was some big and swift raking for the 
bivalves. And there was some loud laughing at head-quarters when the 
affair was over. 

And the Adjutant here puts in the question — leaving it for the right 
man to answer: u what officer was it who shot the turke} T -buzzard, and 
brought it to the cook to be dressed as a wild turkey ? " He remembers, too, 
how the " contrabands" after running the gauntlet of the rebel lines, and 
reaching our posts, exclaimed in their joy, one sa}*ing : "I seed de lamp 
of life ahed, an de lamp of death behin' ;" another shouting: "Tank de 
great God, I breave free." He also wants it mentioned that the chaplain, 
on a gunning expedition near the north end -of Cockspur Island, using a 



1863.] 



THIRD R. I. H. ARTILLERY. 



215 



musket and fine English powder obtained from the magazine of the fort, 
in trying to bring down some curlews flying over his head, was kicked over 
by his musket and left his cast in the mud. 

Lieutenant Gorton was not only the efficient Adjutant of the regiment, 
but filled other responsible positions at different times, in various parts of 
the Department, where clerkty skill was demanded. He was Post Adjutant 
at Hilton Head and Fort Pulaski under Colonel Metcalf and Colonel Straw- 
bridge ; Acting Assistant Adjutant-General under Colonel Metcalf when he 
was Acting Chief of Artillery at the time of the naval bombardment of 
Sumter ; also Acting Assistant Adjutant-General under Colonel Barton of 
the Forty-eighth New York, in command of the Northern District of the 
Department of the South. 

Our companionable and esteemed Capt. D. B. Churchill, whose hospi- 
talit}' and generosity well matched his bravery and fidelity, taking advan- 
tage of the fact that several military chiefs and ladies were visiting Fort 
Pulaski, where they were detained by stress of winds, invited them and the 
officers of the post to visit Tybee Island and dine with him. His guests 
were landed by boat at Goat Point and conveyed in mule teams to his head- 
quarters, by *the Martello Tower. To the beauty of the island and the 
attractions of the old tower, the Captain added all that is attractive in 
genial societ}' and toothsome viands. His demands on Joe, the post sutler, 
and his requisitions on the oyster-beds, all manipulated by experienced 
cooks, furnished no ordinary spread for the field, and must have made a 
deep impression upon a month's pa}^ All the guests were delighted with 
their visit, and left with a high and just estimate of the Captain as a gentle- 
man and an officer. 

Our excellent Assistant-Surgeon, G. W. Grosvener, surgeon of the post 
at Pulaski for more than a year, being a scholar and a votarj^ of the scien- 
ces as well as a military man, instituted various branches of natural research 
and made thorough meteorological observations at his quarters in the Pelican 
House. From his tables we may give the mean temperature of each month 
of the year as found by him during his stay : January, forty-nine degrees ; 
February, fifty-two degrees ; March, fifty-six degrees ; April, sixty-two 
degrees; May, seventy-one degrees; June, seventy-six degrees; July, 
eighty-one degrees ; August, eighty-one degrees ; September, seventy- four 
degrees ; October, sixty-eight degrees ; November, sixty-two degrees ; De- 
cember, fifty-two degrees. The yearly mean was sixty-five and one-third 
degrees. 

By the way, the Doctor was a staunch temperance man, and agreed with 
many eminent physicians, that the old custom and law of liquor rations in 
armies was an unhapp} T relic of unscientific times ; that these rations did 
more harm than good ; that their place could be better supplied by capsi- 
cum, ginger, and other stimulants. 



CHAPTER XL. 



RE-ENLISTMENT OF VETERANS. 
January — April, 1864. 



Unwearied wars the loyal host. 

Near the close of 1863, it being evident that the Rebellion would not 
be fulty suppressed before the expiration of the term of services for which 
the first and best of our troops in the field had enlisted, and it being deemed 
of great importance to the country to retain, if possible, these veteran sol- 
diers, a proposition was made by the government, and seconded by the 
States, for re-enlisting as many as praoticable of these capable men. It 
was promised to all who would re-enlist that the Federal Government 
should pay to each man $400 as bount3 r , and give him a furlough of thirty 
days. To this the State added a bounty of $300. No soldier could re- 
enlist who had not been two years in the service. In the Department of the 
South, for many and cogent reasons, particularly for the need of retaining 
tried and thoroughly educated heavy artillerists, it was desired to re-engage 
members from our regiment. 

In their tents, batteries, and garrisons, and along the front, our skilled 
men discussed the important proposition. Having still a portion of their 
original term to serve, and confident that the war would terminate trium- 
phantly for the Union in less than two years, and anxious to be on the front 
when the Confederate flag should come down, many of our bravest, truest 
gunners concluded to accept the new term with the $700 of bounties and 
the thirty days of furlough in which to visit their homes. 

March 4. There went north, on their furloughs, in the steamer Arago 
from Hilton Head, one hundred and four veterans with Maj. Wm. Ames, 
Capt. A. E. Greene, First Lieut. O. A. Thompson, First Lieut. E. W. 
Waterhouse and First Lieut. James Bible. Returning, onboard the trans- 
port E. L. Clark, they reached Port Royal, April 26th. 

In connection with the State bounties of our veterans, as also in connec- 
tion with the bounties of some of our recruits, occurred certain illegal 
transactions on the part of bounty brokers, that deserve a permanent his- 
torical record. And the arts to which we allude were also practiced upon 



1863.] 



THIRD R. I. H. ARTILLERY. 



217 



other regiments, especially upon the men of the Fourteenth Rhode Island 
Heavy Artilleiy. 

The State bounties were paid, in part, in cash during the soldier's fur- 
lough, and in part — the major part — by a State draft, due when the sol- 
dier again reported for duty in the field and had his draft endorsed by the 
adjutant of the command. 

In contravention of the purposes of the State, and before the propo- 
sals of the State had taken on an actual property character, and before the 
soldiers had an}^ legal title to the State bounty drafts, sharp-eyed specula- 
tors made propositions to the soldiers to cash the State proposals for certain 
large discounts. In some cases they drove their bargains when the soldiers 
had been decoyed into a state of partial intoxication ; in some cases secur- 
ing not their signatures, but their marks. Some signed papers that they 
could not read and did not hear read. Some signed professed orders on the 
Paymaster-General of the State. Some signed similar orders on the Allot- 
ment Commissioner or his assistants. Some signed simple notes of hand. 
In a few cases the papers professed to convey power of attorney. Some- 
times one man transacted the business while another finally appeared as the 
claimant. The discount demanded varied from twenty to fifty per cent. — 
averaging forty per cent. 

Some of the soldiers, discovering the tricks, became sharper even than 
the sharpers ; they professed to sell their claims, and sold them as often as 
the}^ could — twice, thrice, and more. One man sold his claim seven times. 
Some, under fictitious names, sold the claims of others. Some who never 
sold their claims, and knew how foolish and illegal all such bargains were, 
found their drafts, on reaching the field, encumbered by these bogus names 
and sales. 

The bounty shavers, in some cases, induced the Paymaster of the State, 
or his clerk, to enter the claims in the orders, on the backs of the drafts, 
putting the name of the speculator in place of the erased words "or 
bearer." In other cases the speculators forwarded their claims directly 
to the Assistant Allotment Commissioner in the field, desiring him to sub- 
tract the amounts from the bounties, or, as in most cases, to secure the 
soldiers signature to the order on the back of the draft, and then forward 
the draft to the speculator. Thus they sought, professedly with the consent 
of the Governor, and Paymaster, and the Allotment Commissioner, to involve 
the State, the State Allotment Commission and its agents, in fraudulent 
transactions, contravening the laws and design of the State, and fleecing 
the soldiers in the army. 

At this time the Chaplain was the Assistant Allotment Commissioner 
for the regiment, and for all Rhode Island soldiers in the Tenth Army 
Corps. Having studied his office and duties, and acting as the agent of 
the State and of the soldiers, he saw at once, when these drafts reached 
him, that they had been unlawfully meddled with, and that the soldiers, as 



218 



SHOT AND SHELL. 



[January, 



well as the State, had been wronged. All this became more apparent 
when the bounty-shavers sent him their papers — letters and professed 
claims — offering, in some instances, to him a boumVy or percentage — in 
one case the money with the letter — if he would act as their agent and 
secure their claims. He at once put his hand upon these wrongs and 
arrested them. Colonel Brayton and the officers of the regiment stood by 
him in his position. He knew only two parties in these drafts, the State 
and the soldiers ; all others were only agents to carry out the purposes of 
the State. No man should defraud Rhode Island. No man should fleece 
the soldiers. 

The Chaplain resolved to pay the face of these drafts to the soldiers, 
on their signing them in the field after the Adjutant's signature, without 
reference to their illegal incumbrances, or send them back to the State for 
examination and purging. Thus he wrote to the parties concerned. His 
course stirred the ire of the bounty-shavers, who, finding they could not 
purchase him, tried the expedient of aspersions and threats, using even 
the nani3 of certain State officers as their endorsers. He replied that the 
State was greater than all its officials, and that right doing was of more 
consequence than money ; at any rate the soldiers of his regiment should 
not be fleeced by unprincipled men if he could possibly prevent it. The 
speculators informed him that when he should be mustered out of the 
army the}' would accommodate him with quarters in the State Prison. In 
fact, the Governor, for a time — from false information — sided with the 
bounty-swindlers, and wronged the Chaplain b} r withholding, for a time, 
his lawful pay, and until the State took the matter in hand and justified 
the Chaplain and defended the soldiers. 

In allusion to this matter, that awakened wide public interest and 
called out the memorable report of the Finance Committee of the State, 
in January, 1865, the Providence Journal in an editorial remarked : "Mr. 
Denison has shown himself quite able to defend himself against the whole 
army of bounty-brokers ; " and in another article adds : ' ' We beg our 
readers to observe his description of the kind of iniquities which have 
been practiced. He deserves great credit and the thanks of every citizen 
for the courage with which he has resisted the pressure brought to bear 
upon him, not only by bounty-swindlers, but by State officials who sus- 
tained and aided those swindlers. They have heaped abusive epithets 
upon him and threatened him with their vengeance. But he has persisted 
in the conscientious discharge of his duties, and has saved thousands of 
dollars to the brave soldiers. ... By his fidelity as an officer in the 
First Rhode Island Cavalry and in the Third Rhode Island Heav}' Artillery 
he has merited the gratitude of Rhode Island." 

The whole number of men who re-enlisted as veterans was 303 ; and, 
as trained gunners, in their ver}^ important arm of the service on the front 
in South Carolina and in Virginia, they added a valuable and weighty 



1864.] 



THIRD R. I. H. ARTILLERY. 



219 



chapter to the history of the command and the history of the war. Com- 
pany C had seventy-nine veterans. 

In reference to the services of the Chaplain as Assistant Allotment 
Commissioner it may be mentioned that between Jan. 23 and Sept. 30, 
1864, he forwarded for the members of the regiment, to their homes and 
friends, the moneys entrusted to him, amounting to $102,381, and every 
dollar reached its destination safely. 

Jan. 10. James D. Barber Company (E), died of apoplexy, on Morris 
Island. 

Jan. 18. Patrick Kallaher Company (I) , died of chronic diarrhoea, on 
Morris Island. 

Not without reason, our hearts have a tender interest in the cemetery 
near the south end of this historic island. Beneath those sands what 
forms of worthy soldiers sleep. 



CHAPTER XLI. 



SCENES ON THE SAVANNAH. 
January — February, 1864. 

The book of nature glows with thought. 

Our Assistant Surgeon, J. W. Grosvenor, now surgeon of the post at 
Fort Pulaski, was withal a botanist, and made a ver}^ creditable collection 
in this science, and opened a correspondence on the matter with Dr. Asa 
Gray, the botanist, of Cambridge, Mass. One of his fellow officers in 
the fort, in a private letter, thus wrote : — 

" He has piles of his pet herbs, roots, leaves, blooms, branches, and 
fruits, sandwiched up with newspapers, in stacks on the floor of his quar- 
ters, with heavy chips of Massachusetts granite (no indigenous granite in 
Georgia), to press them down. He calls this cabinet an herbarium, or 
some other big word ; an} T wa3 T , it is a fine affair, and I like to mouse 
around the stacks and take a few mental nibbles at the treasures ; albeit 
it nigh chokes one to pronounce some of the names and swallow all the 
tortuous technical terminology. Were I linguist, or limner, or gifted in 
the descriptive art, I might sketch you some curiosities — a crane or a 
cactus, a pelican or a palmetto. And we have our palmetto on this island 
that is worthy, at least, of water colors ; the average diameter of the trunk 
is nineteen inches, but it has been girdled near its middle to a diameter of 
six inches ; yet it is very flourishing, and has an abundance of fruit now 
just ripe ; it might, in shape, be compared to an hour-glass surmounted 
by a monster bouquet jewelled with fruit. I should also add that there is 
an auger hole through the small diameter. Such is the tenacity of life in 
this endogenous representative of the tropics. In its top the racoon loves 
to bivouac and forage on the fruit." 

It will be recollected that the tree here mentioned stood near the north 
wharf, close by the skeleton of an old cook-house. The famous century 
plant of the island stood south of the Pelican Club House. 

Who of us can forget the scenes and martial ceremonies that occurred 
within the walls of Fort Pulaski ? When the garrison consisted of seven 
hundred men, the daily drill, and especially the guard-mountings, the dress- 
parades and reviews on the terre-plein of the fort, were always interesting 



1864.] 



THIRD R. I. H. ARTILLERY. 



221 



and often imposing. Even now we can hear the inspiring music, gaze on 
the line of armed men, and note the perfect tread and graceful wheelings 
of the glittering column. The leader of the band, tall and straight, full of 
martial as well as of musical spirit, in gay uniform, wielding gracefully and 
often curioush' Iris decorated baton, as with exact measure and step he led 
off his musicians, was a splendid picture in himself. But all this was only 
preparatory to other and severer scenes which soon came to all in turn 
along the front. 

Subjoined are some of the generalized meteorological data obtained by 
our Post Surgeon for the months named. We give only the readings from 
the thermometrical tables : — 

"FOR NOVEMBER. 

Highest, seventy-nine degrees ; lowest, thirty-two degrees; highest daily mean, 
seventy-one; lowest daily mean, thirty-eight; monthly mean, sixty-two degrees; 
warmest day, 6th; coldest, 30th; a little ice on night of 80th; from 7 A. m., 29th, 
to 7 a. m. , 30th, mercurial column fell thirty-six degrees. 

FOR DECEMBER. 

Highest, seventy-nine degrees; lowest, thirty-two degrees; highest daily mean, 
sixty-six degrees ; lowest daily mean, forty degrees; monthly mean, fifty -two de- 
grees; coldest day, 1st; warmest, 17th; ice one-half of an inch thick on morning of 
1st." 

The aboriginal inhabitants of Cockspur Island are minks and fiddlers ; 
the minks supply exercise to our few camp curs by evoking their music and 
muscles ; the fiddlers furnish, quite unwillingly, however, the commissariat 
of the screeching sea-birds. The finny tribes that frequent the channels, 
creeks, and ditches, yielding to the law of proscription, fill the requisitions 
of cranes, pelicans and the "contrabands." The immigrant rats and mice, 
deserters from transports and navy keels, vex our good soldiers but delight 
our pet cats ; it is a little difficult therefore to estimate their exact value. 
The hawks that visit this half-drowned section of marsh and mud are 
obliged to content themselves with little birds and small snakes, the latter 
having but few mourners at their demise. Of the birth-place and owner- 
ship of the small knot of goats that nibble along the dikes and reconnoitre 
about the storehouses, I aru profoundly ignorant ; that the old, gra} T , bristle- 
nianed, long-bearded, strong-horned, belligerent billy goat has a distin- 
guished rank is notorious, and we give him space accordingly; I question 
whether any one outranks him in the Department. We can boast but five 
palmetto trees ; perhaps because we have found only a juvenile raccoon, 
and he an interloper I suspect, to feed on the clusters of black seeds ; and 
unfortunateby, a few days since, this poor confederate coon was subjugated 
by a lo3 r al mess. The Spanish bayonets and cactus are reall} T military 
representatives of the vegetable kingdom as all will allow who have attacked 
them. Oysters are indigenous, and we are happ} T to say very digestible ; 
and we would respectfully suggest that the War Department furnish us 



222 



SHOT AND SHELL. 



[January, 



with oyster tongs and stout knives ; pepper is obtainable at a peppery 
price from the good sutler's barrack. Prickly pears, now ripening, are 
quite abundant and somewhat palatable. 

We copy an article from the New South, penned by Dr. Grosvenor, and 
add that the Doctor was too modest to allude to the speech he made — one 
of the best on the pleasing occasion : — 

" [For the New South.'] 
Complimentary. 

" The ordinary quiet and monotony of our soldier-life was this morning 
relieved by a very pleasant affair, which occurred on board the gun-boat 
Dai-Ching, now at anchor in our harbor. Its nature will be explained by 
the following correspondence : — 

U. S. Steamer Dai-Ching, off Fort Pulaski, i 
Monday Evening Jan. 18, 1864. \ 

Chaplain Denison : — 

Sir : If you will favor us with a visit to-morrow forenoon. I shall have the ex- 
treme pleasure of presenting you in behalf of the officers and crew of my ship, a 
flag, the glorious Stars and Stripes, as a slight token of the esteem in which we 
hold a brave man. 

I have the honor to be, sir, 

Yery respectfully yours, 

J. C. Chaplin, 
Lieut. Commanding. 

Fort Pulaski, Ga., Jan. 18, 1864. 
J. C. Chaplin, Lieutenant Commanding Ship Bai-Ching, off Fort Pulaski, Ga: — 

Dear Sir: With heartiest thanks for your kind note and honorary invitation, 
I promise to respond by my presence (D. V.), to morrow at 11 o'clock, A. m., on 
board your loyal keel the Dai-Ching — The Gallant Warrior. 

Remaining as ever, yours, truly, 

Frederic Denison, 
Chaplain Third Bhode Island Heavy Artillery, Post Chaplain. 

" At the time appointed our wortlry Chaplain, alias ' Poet of Cock- 
spur' — who, b} T the way, is an enthusiastic son of Mars as well as a charm- 
ing poet — accompanied by officers from the fort, and aided by the polite- 
ness and sturdy strokes of the navy, pulled alongside the gun-boat and re- 
ceived a cordial welcome on board by Capt. Chaplin and his officers. After 
the exchange of friendly greetings, the flag was brought forth and presented 
to Chaplain Denison, in behalf of the officers and men, by Dr. B. J. Her- 
shey, Medical Officer of the Dai-Ching, in an appropriate speech laudatory 
of the Stars and Stripes, and the man who was about to receive them. In 
response, the recipient made some happy allusions to the co-operation of 
the army and navy, complimented the donors for their bravery, and closed 
with these words : ' Thanks, thrice told and true, from the heart I render 
you all, brave men, for this precious gift, and remain your great debtor.' 
' ' The flag is of bunting, put up in true naval style , and surmounted with 



1864.] 



THIRD R. I. H. ARTILLERY. 



223 



truck, metallic star and tassels of red, white and blue. The getting up of 
this beautiful gift is in a large measure due to the admirable skill of Mr. 
Ha worth, sailing-master. 

"A ramble over the ship demonstrated that the gallant warrior, in charge 
of skillful officers and manned by expert seamen is alwaj's in trim and 
ready for an encounter. After other distinguished speeches, of which the 
happiest was that of Capt. Walker, of Fort Wagner memoiy, in which he 
paid a fitting tribute to the Stars and Stripes and the choice heroes who 
have fallen under them, saying that he was willing to die in defense of the 
old flag, and that in it the hopes of all humanity culminated ; we parted 
with the braves of the gallawt warrior, thankful for our pleasant interview, 
hoping often in the future to meet those gallant and generous sons of Nep- 
tune." 

Prior to the war, Tybee Island, though beautiful in itself with its oaks, 
pines, palmettoes. jungles, wild plums, yams and vines, was but a semi- 
civilized region. The wild hogs we found there, made still more wild by 
the thunder of our guns in the siege of Pulaski, were not wholty extermin- 
ated during the war-strokes. With great difficulty our boys found them 
within good rifle-range. Perhaps Captain Churchill will not soon forget how, 
at a later date, as he was crossing the island on horseback, these savage 
swine deployed on his flank from the thicket, so frightening the horse that 
he dashed like a comet through the sand-hills and trees, giving the Captain 
a ride a la John Gilpin. T}*bee yams and wild fruit failed to make sweet 
or tender pork. 

Feb. 1. Six men of a rebel engineer corps, sent out to locate torpedoes 
in the Savannah, deserted and reached Fort Pulaski, bringing with them 
one torpedo, containing about sixty pounds of powder. They reported 
that two regiments, ten miles from Savannah, had recently mutinied on 
account of short rations ; also that a mutiny had occurred on the rebel 
ram Georgia. 

Twenty-one negroes attempted to escape from Savannah in a boat, 
but while trying to pass the obstructions, in the night, the boat was upset 
and all save one were drowned. 

One of the drawbacks to the efficiency of our army, made up as it was 
of volunteer troops led by men who had strong home attachments, and 
sometimes the pressure of important business relations that were suffering 
from their absence, was the frequent changes occurring among the field 
and line officers. 

Feb. 4. We were again made sad in being obliged to part with our 
able commander, whose resignation was accepted. The regret and loss 
fell to the whole Department of the South as well as to us. Generals Gill- 
more, Terry, and others were especially sorry to lose the presence of one 
who had both honored his State and the service of his country. 

Colonel Metcalf was one of the original officers of the command. 



w 

224 shot and shell. [February. 

Leaving an honorable and lucrative position in the legal profession in the 
State, he accepted a commission as Major Aug. 27, 1861. After the bat- 
tle on James Island, in which he distinguished himself, he resigned his rank 
amongst us Aug. 4, 1862, and accepted the Colonelcy of the Eleventh 
Rhode Island Volunteers Sept. 15, 1862. But he returned amongst us, 
with the commission of Colonel Nov. 11, 1862. In all these positions, 
and in others added to these, of which our records make mention, he won 
a high place, for ability and bravery, in the estimation of all who became 
associated with him or formed his acquaintance. But few men of equal 
talents and executive tact were found among those who gave themselves 
to the service of their country in the hour of he* peril. 

Feb. 7. We may not forget the peculiar pleasure and profit of the 
night of the 6th, spent in the deserted mansion on Braddock's Point. Sev- 
eral officers of our regiment and of other commands having rode to this 
point on their way to Fort Pulaski, were here overtaken by nightfall ; the 
fog on Calibogue Sound and the Savannah forbidding our boats to try the 
voyage, although one undertook it. Sitting on the floor to a late hour be- 
fore attempting to woo sleep, we entertained each other by a mutual 
agreement, in the recital of an outline history of our lives. We were from 
all parts of our country and from all walks and professions in life, and a few 
had widely traveled. Certain of the recitals were amusing, some deeply 
instructive, some remarkably tragic. At the conclusion, near midnight, 
each one told an anecdote, and then we stretched ourselves upon the solid 
pine floor for warrior dreams. 

The boat that attempted to cross the sound and river was soon enveloped 
in fog and darkness, and being without a compass became utterly bewildered. 
To proceed amidst the shoals and the swift running tide was impracticable. 
The company of officers and men wisely concluded to anchor and wait for 
daylight. How well they slept and dreamed, we leave for them to recite. 

Feb. 18. After the resignation of Colonel Metcalf, the command of the 
regiment devolved upon Lieutenant-Colonel Brayton who was on constant 
duty with the battalion on the front, and therefore removed the head-qua'rters 
of the regiment to Folly Island. 

Feb. 20. George Thackeray (Company K), was wounded in action. 



CHAPTER XLII. 

BATTLE OF OLUSTEE, FLORIDA. 
February, 1864. 

Judge not the future by to-day. 

Olustee is a post-office town of Florida, in Baker County, forty- 
seven miles westward from Jacksonville, on the Jacksonville, Pensacola, 
and Mobile Railroad (or Florida Central) . The battle was fought between 
the Federal troops under Gen. T. Seymour and the Confederate forces 
under Generals Finnigan and Colquitt ; the enenr^ having the advantage 
both of numbers and position. Our troops advanced upon this point from 
Jacksonville, leaving their camp-equipage and supplies at that place. 
The object of the movement was two-fold : to cut off the large supplies of 
animals and plantation products from the rebel army, and to induce our 
" wayward sister" to return to the Federal Union. 

Under date of Feb. 22d, Lieutenant Eddy, on board the steamer 
Cosmopolitan, wrote as follows : — 

"On Thursday morning (18th) , we left our camps at Jacksonville, Fla., 
in light-marching order, with ten days' rations. We marched all day, 
and, as the roads we/e bad, we made only sixteen miles, when we halted 
for the night. On Friday morning (19th), we started early, and, march- 
ing all day, made seventeen miles, stopping over night at a small place 
called Barber's. On Saturday morning (20th), at 7 o'clock, we started 
forward for a place called Lake City, thirty-six miles distant, which, if we 
had succeeded in occupying, we should have stopped supplies being sent 
to the western armies of the enemy. We marched eighteen miles, when 
we met the enemy, and skirmished with them for the next four miles, when 
we found that they were in force, and had formed their line of battle. 

The columns were at once deployed, and our advance was soon sharply 
^engaged. Hamilton's battery was ordered forward. Four pieces of the 
battery, including my section, were placed in position within a hundred 
and fifty yards of the rebel lines, under a severe fire of musketry. We 
went in with four pieces, fifty horses, eighty-two men, and four officers, 
namely : Captain Hamilton, Lieutenant Mj-rick, Lieutenant Dodge and my- 
15 



226 



SHOT AND SHELL. 



[February, 



self. In twenty minutes we lost forty-five men, forty horses, two guns and 
four officers, when we managed to get off with what little there was left. 
The fight lasted three hours, when, finding his small army so much cut up, 
the General (Seymour) , ordered a retreat. 

' ' We returned to Jacksonville, fifty-eight miles distant, and reached there 
last night (21st) at 12 o'clock. We had 5,000 men engaged on our side, 
and lost 1,200, as near as I can learn. The enemy had 15,000 opposed to 
us, and of course whipped us badly. Captain Hamilton is wounded in the 
left arm severely and in the hip. Lieutenant Myrick is badly wounded 
in the left foot, and will probably lose some of his toes. Lieutenant Dodge 
is wounded in the left arm, bat not badly. I am wounded in the right leg, - 
about three inches above the ankle joint, but not badly. All of us officers 
had our horses shot under us. We are now on board of this steamer, bound 
for Beaufort, S. C, where all the wounded will be landed except us four 
officers. We return to Hilton Head to-morrow. The battery remained at 
Jacksonville, which I think our forces will find it difficult to hold, as the 
enemy were following us closely. Taking everything together, we have 
done pretty sharp work. In ninety hours we have marched 110 miles, 
fought a battle of three hours' duration, got badly whipped, and what there 
is left of our little army is back again where we started from." 

Our artille^ was well managed ; the men sticking to their guns like 
heroes, and the officers displaying great gallantry. Hamilton brought his 
pieces into battery on the centre, Langdon on his left, and Elder on his 
right. At one time Hamilton's battery was but one hundred yards from 
the enemy's front. Before he could get into position he lost several men 
and horses. The same was the case with Langdon. It was not until the 
artillery had lost more than half of their men and horses that they thought 
of retiring. Captain Hamilton and his five lieutenants were wounded. 

Four pieces of his battery were brought away by Lieutenant Myrick, 
who was wounded at the time in the foot. Two pieces fell into the hands 
of the enemy for the reason that there were no horses to bring them away. 

On the left, with Langdon, was one section of the Third Rhode Island, 
under Lieut. H. H. Metcalf. They had a fearfully sharp struggle to hold 
their pieces, but the Lieutenant and his thirty-two men with their two 
pieces did splendid work ; they fired the last gun. They had five wounded, 
and one of them missing. The Lieutenant's horse was shot from under 
him. The wounded were Corporal Warren Moon, Jeremiah Hogan (Com- 
pany M), George Thackery, James Harris, Michael Broderick — Harris 
missing. 

To the account of the battle given by Lieutenant Eddy, should be added 
the fact that Lieutenant Irwin of our regiment, serving in a regular battery • 
received a wound in his left hand. 

Lieut. Wm. S. Bailey (Company C), gives us this incident: "At the 
battle, private Michael Broderick (Company C), while sitting on his horse, 



1864.] 



THIED R. I. H. ARTILLERY. 



227 



ready for instant orders, had the cross-cannons shot from the top of his 
cap, and the same bullet plowed a furrow on the top of his head. Brod- 
erick, though onry a boy of about eighteen years, disregarded the shot 
wound and sat his horse as if nothing had happened. Shortly, as the 
blood trickled down his face, he wiped it away, and, turning to one of 
the cannoniers, said : ' Won't you pick up those cross-cannons? They cost 
me three cents, and I can't afford to lose them.'" 

One of our men, James Harris, Company C, was reported killed in the 
action, and his name so appears on all reports. It is thus enrolled on the 
State monument, in Providence. The truth is he was severely wounded 
in the right lung and wrist, and left for dead on the field. By us nothing 
was heard of him for sixteen months, when he strangely reappeared, sadly 
emaciated. He was one of the victims of the rebel prisons, though his lot 
was less severe than that of some of his comrades. 

John G. Williams (Compan} T M), — real name George Cox — who had 
been transferred to Hamilton's battery, was taken prisoner and carried to 
the horrible Anderson ville pen, and was in the hands of the enemy ten 
months and twenty-three days. 

Not satisfied with the movement on Olustee, General Seymour pushed, 
soon after, a portion of his force further south. The Fort3 T -seventh and 
Fort} T -eighth New York, a regiment of colored troops, a portion of the 
First Massachusetts Cavahy, and Company C, of our command, took 
transports and ran up the St. John's as far as Pilatka, about seventy-five 
miles from Jacksonville. We felt of the country with our guns cautiously 
but boldly as we passed up the stream. At Pilatka a report was brought 
of a rebel force in that neighborhood. A section of our battery, under 
Lieut. B. F. Manton, supported by the Massachusetts Cavalry, under 
Major Stevens, advanced and probed the forests with our shell. Returned 
by land to Jacksonville. 

We found Floridian scenery wild, beautiful, rich in palms and reeds and 
dense jungle. Live oaks, palmettoes, cypresses, alligators, and gallinippers 
ma} r answer in poetry better than in experience. 

Crossing to the right bank of the St. John's and reconnoitering through 
everglades, forests, and clearings, finding nothing wortlrf of our steel, we 
took up our march through the wilderness by all sorts of wa3 7 s, roads and 
paths, through pines, C3 T presses and palms, and through swamps and over 
creeks — a distance of certainly eighty miles for us, to Jacksonville. What 
underlies this great peninsula of Florida, resembling a monstrous ever- 
glade on the face of the ocean, we do not know, and never may, but we 
imagine unfathomable depths of mud ; and our artillery, by reason of its 
weight, had a most uncomfortable attraction for this unexplored region. 
But steamers followed along the river with an occasional eye on us as if 
suspecting that we might founder in the kingdom of ooze. 

The diary kept by Corp. H. J, Peckham, Company C, gives the follow- 
ing notes : — 



228 



SHOT AND SHELL. 



[February. 



" Feb. 9, (186 1) . Remainder of battery landed in Jacksonville (Fla.) , 
this morning ; late in afternoon started for the front. 10th. Came to 
Camp Finnegan last night, halted till morning ; arrived at Baldwin about 
dark. 11th. Started at daylight, halted at noon ; came to Sanderson Sta- 
tion. 13th. Moved back to Barber's Station, thirty-three miles from 
Jacksonville — Sanderson is forty-five miles. 14th. Second detachment 
went on a three-days' raid with One Hundred and Fifteenth New York, and 
Massachusetts Cavaky. 17th. The boys came back from Callapan Sta- 
tion well played out. 20th. Left Barber's at daylight for Lake City, 
passed Sanderson's near noon ; about six miles be} T ond got a nice whipping, 
and fell back. 21st. Reached Barber's at midnight, halted till da3 T light ; 
started for Baldwin, where, after a halt, pushed for Jacksonville. 2 2d. 
Reached Jacksonville 10 a. m., aud placed guns in the breastworks. 23d. 
Two pieces went out to Camp Finnegan. 25th. The pieces went to the 
front again ; pieces came in. March 9th. Right and centre sections moved 
up the river with Barton's brigade on steamers Gen. Hunter, Chas. S. 
Houghton and Maple Leaf. 10th. Landed at Pilatka, seventy-five miles 
from Jacksonville ; went out scouting about ten miles and captured nine 
prisoners. 11th. Scouting again. 15th. The naval tender captured a rebel 
gun-boat last night up the river. 16th. Rebel cavahy seen. 21st. The reb- 
els drove our pickets in. 29th. Generals Gillmore and Hatch present ; ' rebs ' 
seen again. 31st. Infant^ had a skirmish with 'rebs.' April 1st. Detach- 
ment of One Hundred and Fifteenth New York captured a rebel picket- 
post — about fifteen men — up the river. 2d. The rebels captured one 
of our picket-posts — tit for tat on captures. 3d. Steamer Maple Leaf 
blown up on her wa} T to Jacksonville ; Quartermaster-Sergeant Harrington, 
of our command, was on board. 13th. Had orders to evacuate Pilatka ; 
crossed to the east side of the river. 14th. Started for Picalata ; halted 
at Moccasin branch — tributar3 T of the St. John's; moved on at night. 
15th. Arrived at Picalata and found Colonel Montgomery's brigade. 
16th. Steamer General Hunter blown up by a torpedo. 18th. Orders 
to leave Picalata. 19th. Reached Jacksonville. 26th. Left Jackson- 
ville for Hilton Head." 

It seemed to us as if Florida must be a hard problem for geologists, 
not, as some say, "a hard nut to crack," for there is no hardness to 
it; it is the softest domain, to our notion, on earth — mud and fine 
sand. Apparently it is attached to our country by accident, as if it had 
been floating around the ocean, and finally was swung against the continent 
by the Gulf Stream, and grounded with the wrong end to the north, for its 
rivers are running mainly the wrong way. The St. John's flows towards 
the north star, a fact that was always turning our heads. As for the 
famed fountain of youth here, we never found it, but always felt that we 
were growing old very fast while we remained here. Possibly tourists and 
land speculators will express a different opinion. 



CHAPTER XLIII. 



INCIDENTS AT FORT PULASKI. 

March - April, 1864. 

Earth still is full of tragedies. 
March 1. One of our sentinels thought he heard a cry for help floating 
down from far up the river. " Come and get us !" was the rude, faint 
voice that came from more than two miles across the water from an island 
of mud and rank grass. From the ramparts of the fort we discovered an 
object which proved to be a pole holding up a towel raised by the suffering 
wanderers. A boat was dispatched which brought in three besmeared, 
starving, colored men. These reported more men and three women in a 
similar situation farther up the river. A second boat was sent out, which, 
after hours of search, venturing close to the enemy's lines, rescued the per- 
iled and destitute company. These refugees were a spectacle — almost 
naked, the women having only little,, miserable skirts that reached their 
knees, besmeared with mud, as one said, "-boggy as de bog eself," famished 
and almost wholly exhausted. For nine weary days and fearful nights 
they had been feeling their perilous wa} T from the slave-pens, twelve miles 
be3*ond Savannah, through the rebel bivouacs and lines, wading through 
swamps, skulking through forests, and*swimming three rivers, the women 
clinging to the necks of the men, floundering across the mud islands, as 
they said, " like de aligators," till they discovered the dear Stars and Stripes 
floating over Fort Pulaski. The original party consisted of twelve ; four 
gave out on the way. The famished but persevering eight were consum- 
ing their last morsel of food when they descried our garrison flag. One of 
them said : "When I seedat flag, it fill me right up." What a compliment 
from the human soul to our standard ! How unspeakably sweet is the 
thought of liberty ! Tell us not that the slave is indifferent to freedom. 
But miles of distance and the swift-flowing Savannah still divided them 
from help and safety. The wind baffled their uplifted voices. Another 
night of hunger, nakedness and peril was before them on their island of 
mud, where they mired to their waists. Before the sun went down they 
saw a steamer visit the fort, and hoping they had been heard, looked long- 
ingly for her to come up the river after them, but when they saw her leave 



230 



SHOT AND SHELL. 



[March 



the fort and disappear from view on her way towards Port Royal, their 
hearts began to fail them ; one remarked : " When I seed de steamboat go 
way, my heart go down to de bottom of my foot." But t*he calm of the follow- 
ing morning allowed their cry for freedom to reach our ears and their rude 
stick and little towel attracted our eyes. Pitiable, yet unutterably happy 
creatures they were when they reached our garrison. One moment's view 
of them and interview with them would have melted the most obdurate of 
"copperheads.'' They had been working for the confederate government 
and a little corn bread daily was their whole compensation. As we handea 
one of them a loaf of bread, he ejaculated: " Gorry, Massa, dat be worf 
too or free dollar in Sawanna." In almost every sentence they would ex- 
claim : " Tank de Lord we get away." 

March 2. During the night a small fast-sailing schooner, of thirtj^-five 
tons, loaded with coffee, pepper, alcohol, and whiskey, commanded by John 
N". Wicks, of Brooklyn, N. Y., assisted by a crew of four, direct from the 
neutral docks of John Bull, at Nassau, in trying to dodge into the mouth 
of the Savannah under cover of the night-fog, struck on the shoals east of 
the Roads towards Braddock's Point, and disabled her rudder, but suc- 
ceeded in getting to sea again. 

March 3. During the night the disabled schooner was swept by the 
winds and currents upon the southern extremity of Tybee Island, where 
Captain Churchill and his Company (F) , captured crew, vessel, and cargo. 
The navy coming in after the ceremonies were over, wished to gain posses- 
sion of the prize. But Major Bailey, Captain Churchill, and Quartermas- 
ter Wilcoxson were unable to see the point. The craft had an English 
flag — neutral of course — and claimed to be named the Artella. The 
cargo was safely landed by our men and stored, in part, for the time, with 
Captain Churchill at the Martello Tower. In a few days the whole was re- 
moved and stored in Fort Pulaski. 

The ingenuit}^ of men who have a passion for whiske}- was well illus- 
trated b}^ some of the prisoners then in the fort who were detailed to roll 
the caskk of liquor from the south wharf up the plank causewa}^ and into 
the fort. The men worked in pairs two to each cask, one at each chime. 
Before the men started on this duty some genius initiated them into the 
myster}* of drawing the liquor while the casks were in motion. The} T fur- 
nished themselves with gimlets and pine taps, and went on duty with empty 
canteens. Starting from the jetty with a cask, the man at the left chime 
would shortly insert the gimlet into the centre of the head of the cask, and 
hold it firmty till the revolutions of the cask carried it through ; then with- 
drawing the gimlet he held his canteen till it was full, when his pine tap 
was inserted, driven hard, broken off, and the scar smoothed over with 
dirt from the sides of the cask. The art was handsomely practiced, and 
probably would have passed undetected had it not been for one man who 
drew his canteen full from a cask of alcohol, from which he took so heavy a 
drink that it made him wild and noisy. 



1864.] 



THIRD R. I. H. ARTILLERY. 



231 



We often heard of the damage that the rebels intended to inflict upon 
us by their huge, iron-backed rams. Of these, the monster Georgia, in 
front of the city of Savannah, was in sight from the ramparts of Fort 
Pulaski, and there the unwieldy craft remained till the Confederate flag 
was humbled. The Atlanta (the blockade-runner Fingal changed), ven- 
tured into Wassaw Sound, only to be captured by a monitor. Three 
other iron-clads were commenced in Savannah, but, like the Confederacy 
itself, never met with recognition. 

The two prodigious rams built and armed in Charleston only backed 
and filled in front of the city, and skulked in the channels of the Ashley 
and Cooper Rivers. Their manoeuvres reminded us of the fable of the 
kid on the roof railing at the wolf below. Our little monitors were sure 
death to the rebel Goliaths. 

March 18. Compan}^ D was transferred from Morris Island to Fort 
Pulaski ; Company F was transferred from Tybee Island to Morris Island ; 
Company G-, from Fort Pulaski, was transferred to Tybee Island ; Com- 
panies A and B were at Hilton Head. Company C (light battery) re- 
mained in Florida, serving in sections at Jacksonville and Pilatka. 

April 10. To secure rare flowers for the decoration of the head-quarters 
of Fort Pulaski on the coming anniversary, a boat and party of soldiers 
from the fort visited Daufuskie Island. A heavy wind rising, lifting a 
strong swell on the river and sound, and the tide ebbing, the boat-party, 
in trying to return, were swept out of the river and the Roads to sea. 
The} 7 were watched with intense anxiety from the ramparts of the fort. 
Our hope was that they would be picked up by the fleet. By desperate 
rowing and bailing, till the wind lulled near night, they saved themselves, 
and before morning landed on the east of Hilton Head. 

April 1 1 . The anniversary of the capture of Fort Pulaski was fittingly 
and enthusiastically celebrated by us, under Major Bailey. The fort was 
put in superb order, and the officers' quarters were decorated- The 
military and naval dignitaries and friends were invited from other portions 
of the Department. As the steamers from Port Royal, containing General 
Gillmore and other officers, came up the channel, we fired a national 
salute — thirty-five guns — and a salute for Gillmore — thirteen guns. A 
gala-day was enjoyed by all. Among the decorations of the quarters were 
original poetic mottoes arranged by the Chaplain, and mounted by the 
men on mammoth cards. 

The military display was excellent. The festivities held to a late hour, 
if we may so style the short hours after midnight. During the night the 
steamer Cossack left for Jacksonville, Fla., with a load of troops. 

April 12. During the night a beautiful, Clyde-built iron steamer, 
decked over all, and with two engines and three smoke-stacks, side- 
wheeled, and drawing five and a half feet of water, named Alliance, loaded 
with medicines and groceries for the Confederates, and having on board a 



232 



SHOT AND SHELL. 



[May. 



few rebel passengers just from Nassau, attempted to skulk into Savannah, 
but struck and grounded on the shoals west of Calibogue Sound, near 
Mungen's Point on Daufuskie Island, and so became a Federal prize. 
The English captain' was reticent and chop-fallen. By throwing overboard 
most of the coal and a part of the cargo, the vessel was tugged off and 
saved ; craft and cargo worth $60,000. No crafts were able to succeed in 
running into or out of Savannah. 

May 28. Clam-bakes belong historically to Rhode Island ; and only 
Rhode Island men have an inalienable right to institute them on other shores. 
Company G- held to this right, and exercised their prerogative on Tybee 
Island, Ga., in war time. The coast-picket — Sergt. James B. Hudson, 
and three men, on the south end of the island, secured about twenty 
bushels of round clams, a quantity of dry wood, and a lot of Spanish moss 
(in lieu of Rhode Island seaweed), and proceeded to have a home-like festi- 
val, to which the}' invited their friends of the navy. 

May 29. The grand bake came off. Capt. 0. A. Thompson, at the 
Martello Tower, gave permission to all the company not on duty to attend, 
and they went down — four miles — in a mule team to celebrate the mys- 
ter}^. Right merrily and thoroughly were the shells cleaned out — for our 
men were good at shelling. When Captain Thompson and Lieutenant 
Fidler came down in the afternoon, they found shells only. 



CHAPTER XLIV. 



SIEGE GUNS ON THE FRONT. 

January— June, 1864. 

Insulted law mounts monster yuns. 

We must turn back now in our historical notes to our brave men toiling' 
incessantly on the front, in their forts and batteries on Morris Island. 
Theirs was not the monotony of garrison duty. They had no time for 
amusements. They were not suffering for exercise. One continuous bat- 
tle day and night absorbed their attention and taxed their strength. Most 
truthfully observes Captain Greene : u Being for months in the same place, 
and firing day and night continually, there was to us a seeming sameness ; 
although had a person from Rhode Island visited us and spent a single day 
in our batteries, when we were giving and taking it hot and heavy, that one 
day would have been to him the day of all his life." 

Every fort and battery on Morris Island played its part in the grand r 
unceasing music of the siege, not excepting our guns down near Light- 
House Inlet. Here we may copy one of the many orders that were almost 
constantly being promulgated : — 

" General Yogdes' Head-quarters, i 
Jan. 23, 1864. \ 

Capt. J. M. Barker, Battery Purviance : — 

Fire on Secessionville once in five minutes, with percussion and time-fuze shell, 
for an hour. 

C. H. BRAYTON, 

Chief of Artillery. 

Jan. 27. How irrepressible the Yankee genius ! Classical entertain- 
ments are mingled as episodes with the thunders of war. Chaplain Hud- 
son, of the New York Volunteer Engineers, gave a splendid lecture on the 
" Othello" of Shakspere, near the head-quarters of Brig.-Gen. W. W. H. 
Davis, post commander of Morris Island. The lecture was in the large 
ordnance building, and largely attended by stars, eagles, anchors, bars, 
and chevrons. 

Feb. 1. Another English, side-wheeled, Clyde-built, blockade runner > 



SHOT AND SHELL. 



[J anuary , 



having dodged the fleet in the night, stuck on the sand near Moultrie, and 
soon received from our forts and the monitors all the iron she needed for 
ballast. Her name was Presto, and presto she snugly pressed the bottom 
of the channel. Her cargo of blankets, shoes, and rebel supplies was 
probably distributed among porpoises and drum-fish. Her touching 
requiem was played by Captain Colwell's 300-pounde'r Parrott. 

Our bo} r s will remember, with a smile, the sage-looking colored man 
whose special business, for a time, was to furnish supplies for our water 
battery under Fort Putnam, from which we constantly shelled Charleston. 
This sable factotum drove a tip-cart, the mule to which had a chronic 
disposition for kicking. After the negro had discharged his load and re- 
turned to the entrance of the fort, the mule began to indulge in his old 
habit. Our boys grew fat with laughter. Finally one of them assured the 
negro that he had an infallible recipe for curing kicking mules. Stepping 
to the little camp-fire, where some coffee had been warmed, and securing a 
stick burning at one end, he ordered the negro to touch the mule under 
his tail, saying: "Then you'll see him go." The darkey obeyed. The 
mule went ; first, his heels went high in the air ; second, his body went 
horizontally like a streak of lightning down the island, tearing through the 
sand-hills, while our bo}~s were convulsed with laughter, and the poor 
negro was running to catch a sight of his team. 

On another occasion this colored assistant of ours, who never became 
fully reconciled to the rebel shells, having discharged his load of supplies 
at Fort Putnam, started back towards the other forts. Reaching the open 
and exposed stretch between Putnam and Chatfield, the rebel guns began 
a spurt of their impolite music. Our surprised driver, in his confusion, 
halted his mule, leaped from his seat, and crouched under his tip-cart, 
like the Paddy's crab, that crept under the wharf to get out of the rain. 
Our boys had another heart}' laugh at the negro's expense. 

At his head-quarters on Morris Island General Terry had two negro men : 
one that he carried with him from the North, and who attended to the cook- 
ing ; the other a freed slave of South Carolina, who acted as a sort of facto- 
tum. Between these Africans there was a little pride of birth-place and 
rank, and a certain boasting of knowledge and skill ; each triumphed over 
the other as" he found opportunity. On one occasion the knight of the 
cuisine, in making up his fire-place, used expended shell found on the island 
for andirons, one of which was still loaded. Just as kettles and spits, filled 
with a grand dinner, were in a superb heat from the oak and pine logs, the 
charged shell exploded, lifting fire, ashes, kettles and spits high into the 
air among the trees, and throwing the cook himself backward on the ground. 
At this the Southern darkie raised a shout of exultation and exclaimed : 
u Dar, dar, a Southun nigger know better dan dat." 

We again copy extracts from rebel records made in Sumter : — 

" Jan. 29. At nine last night, the enemy opened on us with mortars>from the 
middle battery, throwing by morning, 123 shots, of which eighty-two burst in and 



1864.] 



THIRD R. I. H. ARTILLERY. 



235 



over the fort. . . . Shots from columbiads and Parrotts at south angle, 156 ; 
129 hit. 

Jan. 30. Number of shots fired, 159; hit, 138; missed, twenty-one. At 3 p. m., 
the flag -staff was shot down. 

Jan. 31. Number of shots, 131; hit, 114; missed, seventeen." 

Feb. 1. As the morning broke on Charleston harbor, Captain 

in Fort Gregg and Captain Colwell in Fort Chatfield discovered a small, 
beautiful, Clyde-built steamer, that, having dodged the fleet in the night, 
had run into the harbor but had grounded near Fort Moultrie. Immediately 
our guns were blazing, and the stock of that steamer went up, while the 
steamer herself went down; the venture was divided up, but not among the 
owners. Probably Beauregard complained that the Yankees were sinking- 
vessels in the harbor. 

On the same day two casualties occurred in our command. Joseph 
Hughes (Compan3 r H) , lost his left leg, and died from this loss on the 3d ; 
William McGrath (Company E), lost his right leg below the knee. We 
should not forget to mention that all our brave men who perished on the 
front received the tenderest funeral honors we could pa}' ; their coffins 
were alwaj T s wrapped in the sacred flag of our countiy. 

Near the entrance, in Fort Putnam, was a battery of two guns facing the 
harbor and Sullivan's Island, and on its parapet was a platform to admit of 
a howitzer in case of an attack. On this platform stood General Gillmore, 
Colonel Brayton, Capt. A. E. Greene, Lieut. G. W. Greene, and other offi- 
cers, surveying the front, and holding a consultation. The enemy on Sul- 
livan's Island, seeing this group of officers, aspired to have a voice in their 
councils by opening on them with a huge mortar. Our officers saw the puff 
of smoke, heard the loud report, and discovered the huge shell making its 
curved way directly towards them. Our men in the fort saw the affair and 
intently looked to see the officers fly to cover. Said one of the officers : 
" Though we saw the bomb had us in line, our pride and rank forbade our 
flinching, and we stood firm, and would have stood if our heads had been 
blown off. Providentially, the shell burst a little in front of us, right in 
our faces, and not a fragment of it injured us. We were then glad that 
we had not shown the white feather (whatever we felt) in the presence of 
our men." 

Our boat-pickets around Morris Island, chiefly infantrymen, were fur- 
nished with four Requa batteries — curious implements — consisting of 
twenty-five rifle barrels combined and mounted, for field use, on a light 
carnage, and on a pintal in the stern of a boat when used on water. B} r 
a single movement all the barrels were loaded with metallic cartridges, and 
all were discharged at once by a hammer and lanyard. Such, too, was 
the combination, that the barrels could be elevated, depressed, contracted, 
or opened laterally, to sweep a smaller or larger front. Twelve discharges 
could be effected in a minute — at the rate of five bullets a second — 1,800 
in an hour. One of these batteries was in the harbor with our pickets 



236 



SHOT AND SHELL 



[February, 



every night during the winter, and with the parties that reconnoitered 
Sumter. 

Feb. 12. For some uncommunicated reason the rebels chose to open 
simultaneously all their guns on our front, which occasioned special inquiry 
for the moment. Major Ames, being Chief of Artillery on the island, at 
once ordered his horse and dashed up to the forts to investigate the matter. 
Reaching Fort Putnam (Gregg) , he had no sooner dismounted than his 
horse was struck in the neck by the fragment of an exploded shell, and 
instantly killed. Of necessity our officers had frequently to be exposed 
more than the gunners, who usually had the protection of traverses and 
parapets. Alwaj^s, however, all of us were targets when approaching and 
leaving our batteries. On this day the rebels tossed us more than 400 shells 
— quite a striking proof of their liberality. 

Feb. 17. About nine o'clock in the evening we heard the thud of a 
peculiar explosion within the lines of the fleet. We soon learned that the 
sloop-of-war Housatonic, Vying outside the bar, was attacked ' b}^ a long, 
cigar-shaped, submerged torpedo craft, coming out from Beach Inlet, un- 
discovered till close on her victim. The stroke was heav} T and the explosion 
instantaneous. The shattered Housatonic reeled and sank in three 
minutes, taking down with her five men, The torpedo craft, with her com- 
mander, Captain Dixon and his crew, also perished. This was the first war 
vessel that we lost by the enemy's torpedo warfare — the Russian method 
of covert attack in harbors that, on the whole, proved expensive but inef- 
fective, for the Confederates. 

Of this torpedo boat, Colonel Olmstead, in his excellent address before 
the Georgia Historical Society, thus speaks : — 

"It was built of boiler iron, about thirty feet in length, with a breadth of 
beam of four feet by a vertical depth of six feet, the figures being approximate 
only. Access to the interior was had by two man-holes in the upper part, covered 
by hinged caps, into which were let bull's eyes of heavy glass, and through these 
the steersman looked in guiding the motions of the craft. The boat floated with 
these caps raised only a foot or so above the level of the water. The motive 
power was a propeller, to be worked by hand of the crew, cranks being provided 
in the shaft for that purpose. Upon each side of the exterior were horizontal 
vanes, or wings, that could be adjusted at any angle from the interior. When it 
was intended that the boat should go on an even keel, whether on the surface or 
under, these vanes were kept level. If it was desired to go below the water, say, 
for instance, at an angle of ten degrees, the vanes were fixed at that angle and the 
propeller worked; the resistance of the water against the vanes would carry the 
boat under. . . . She was rigged with a long spar at the bow, to which a tor- 
pedo was attached, to be fired by actual concussion with the object to be de- 
stroyed. . . . She was sunk at the wharf at Fort Johnson by the waves of a 
passing steamer. . . . The dead were removed and a second crew volun- 
teered. They made experiments in the harbor, but . . . went down, and 
failed to come up. . . . The boat was again raised, . . . still another 
set of men volunteered for duty. ..." The expedition started, but did not 
return. That night the sloop-of-war Housatonic was reported as having been 



1864.] 



THIRD R. I. H. ARTILLERY. 



237 



sunk. . . . Nothing definite was ever known until after the war, when divers, 
in endeavoring to raise the Housatonic, discovered the cigar-boat with the 
bleached bones of the crew lying near the wreck of the noble ship that she had 
destroyed." 

Lieut. George W. Greene told of the excitement and disappointment 
in his battery, on a certain day, when promiscuous firing had been forbid- 
den by a special order, and General Beauregard, distinctly seen by our 
glasses, on an inspecting tour, passed to Fort Johnson, and then in plain 
view drove on to Battery Simkins, as a rebel deserter and Charleston paper 
had said he would. In hope that the order would be recalled, the Lieuten- 
ant commanded his men to " train a gun, grease down, draw her fine, and 
be ready," sure of his game if allowed to fire. All were eager for the final 
order to fire. No order came, and the rebel magnate escaped. Shortly 
Colonel Brayton, Chief of Artillery, rode up to the battery, and, learning 
of the lost opportunity, said : "Good heavens ; and you let the old cuss 
go ? " The Lieutenant quoted the general order. The Colonel answered : 
"General order be darned ! Never let anything as large as a wheelbarrow 
come down that road again." 

We insert, as a specimen of our manner of working, an approximate 
table of distances, elevations, etc., based upon actual firing from Fort 
Putnam (old Gregg), on Morris Island (Cummings' Point), during the 
month of March : — 



Number and Calibre 
of Gun. 



Nos. 1 and 2. 
30-pdr. Parrotts. . 



Nos. 3 and 4. 
200-pdr. Parrotts., 



Object. 



Sumter 

Moultrie 

Battery Bee 

[ |Mt. Pleasant Channel. 

f Sumter 

| [Moultrie 

■{ ! Johnston 

j jBattery Bee 

I jMt. Pleasant Channel. 



f Sumter. . 
No. 5. ! Simkins. . 

10-inch columbiad.. ] 1 Johnston. 

i Lamar . . 



No. 6. 
100-pdr. Parrott... 



No. 7. 



| Johnston 

i jBull of the Woods. 



[ Near Mt. Pleasant I 6200 



Ram on stocks. 



No. 11. 
100-pdr. Parrott. 

No. 12. 

20-pdr. Wiard 1 Charleston 



Yards 
Distant. 


Degrees 
Eleva- 
tion. 


Seconds 
Fuze. 


Charge 
Cart. 


Charge 
SheU. 


1480 


3 


5 




li 


2600 


6 


9 


tt 


<« 


3100 


8 


13 


a 




3500 


12 


16 


tt 


a 


1480 


3.30 


5 


16 


4 to 10 


2600 


6 


per. 


<< 


a 


2950 


7 


« 


a 


3100 


7.30 


a 




a 


3500 


11 


a 


a 


a 


1480 


4.30 


5 


16 


3 


2200 


7.30 


8 


tt 




2950 


11 


12 


it 




3500 


14 


15 


a 


a 


2200 


4.30 


per. 


10 


5 to 6 


2950 


7 


a 


tt ■ 


<< 


3300 


9 


a 


11 


et 


3500 


9.30 


u 


tt 


a 


5510 


16.30 


a 


tt 


a 


6200 


22.30 


a 


1 


lh 


5510 


24 


tt 






7440 


30 to 40 


tt 


tt 


a 


7000 


30 


tt 


10 


3 to 6 


7440 


26 to 38 


tt 


<< 


tt 


2200 


10 


tt 


22-oz. 


4-oz. 


7440 


45 


tt 


27-oz. 





This last did not reach. 



238 



SHOT AND SHELL. 



[March, 



The famous gun, in its life, for firing on Charleston was No. 7. It 
was expended on the 4,606th round, having thrown ninety-nine tons of 
loyal compliments to the Charlestonians, expedited by nine tons of 
patriotic powder. 

We must add another word of this famous thirty-pounder that so splen- 
didly pounded the cradle of secession. From the time it was mounted — 
Jan. 10th — its carriage pla3 T ing and recoiling on a peculiar chassis of long, 
elastic timbers, it was fired, on an average, once in about twenty minutes, 
day and night (sometimes once in twelve minutes) , till it burst March 19th, 
making it, on account of its elevation, range, destructive work, and long 
life, the most remarkable gun on record. Its fragments were carefully col- 
lected and put together, and after it had received suitable inscriptions end- 
ing with these words, " Expended on Morris Island under Col. Charles R. 
Brayton, Chief of Artillery," it was sent to West Point for study and for 
preservation. On the 15th of Janua^ it fired 237 shell, 216 being good 
shots and striking the city fairly. In its whole life it fired 4,257 good shots, 
259 tripped, ten fell short, and eight}' were premature explosions. 

Inquisitive readers may possibly thank us for mentioning some further 
facts in reference to our Parrott guns and their projectiles. For a 100- 
pounder gun the usual charge was ten pounds of No. 7 powder ; the weight 
of the long shell, 101 pounds ; solid shot, ninety-nine and one-half pounds ; 
short shell, eighty pounds ; hollow shot, eighty pounds. The elevation varied 
according to object and range, from three and one-fourth degrees to thirty- 
five degrees ; the range varied from 1,450 yards to 8,453 yards ; the time of 
flight from four and one-half to thirty-six and three-fourths seconds. 

In the rifled guns the drift was to the right, modified by the amount 
and direction of the wind. Considerable allowance was made in the co- 
lumbiads for windage. 

Our commander, Colonel Brayton was appointed Chief of Artillery for 
the Department, and was at General Gillmore's head-quarters. 

March 9. James McGahan (Company D), while at his post working a 
gun in Fort Putnam, was struck by one of the enemy's shells and instantly 
torn to pieces. The Chaplain being absent at Fort Pulaski, the burial ser- 
vice was read by Major George Metcalf. 

In the latter part of March an order was issued to mount Company 
A, then under Captain Hamner, as light artillery, to handle four twelve- 
pounder howitzers. This was in anticipation of the order taking Company 
C, then under Captain James, with the forces that General Gillmore was to 
lead to Virginia to assist General Grant. 

March 17. Company D went to Tybee Island. 

March 20. Company F came up from Tybee Island. 

March 27. John B Warner (Company A), died in hospital, in Rhode 
Island, of lung fever. 

March 30. While in command of Fort Putnam, Captain Turner had a 





Breech broken off. 



Sections o\\&.&. 
Upper. Lower. 




Upper Side , Plane of vent. 



Right Si defragment. 




30^ GU N 
N? 193 . 
14-. 



Burst at 4.606 tll Roimd. 

M&gkl ±Z00 Us, 

Zenglh. of hore 1Z0 inches 
Lwjrieterof tore ^. ZO ,, 
Greatest elevation, used, ^9° 50' 
lowest ,, „ 40° 0' 

Elevation, when hurst U0°0' 
Charge 3% lbs. 

Boiiched, twice 
4 rovunds fired at Z° 50' 
Iks gun was fired, but once at an, elevaticn, greater than U0 l 



1864,] 



THIRD R. I. H. ARTILLERY. 



239 



little streak of luck. Gambling was of course always contraband of war, 
though the regulations did not forbid the shuffling of cards for mental rec- 
reation, relieving men's thoughts for the moment from the hoarse music of 
the siege. But one day the Captain's eagle eye discovered a knot of his 
men in their quarters of the fort unusually interested in handling the sym- 
bolic pasteboards. After a little wily reconnoitering he perceived that our 
national currency was involved in the contest. Choosing the opportune 
moment, he made a sudden official advance, and, without parley or cere- 
mony, rescued the currency from its peril, and immediately turned it over to 
the company fund. With a hearty laugh he entered the amount : " Credit 
to pot, $2.70." 

April 1. Three distinguished English cousins, as a commission from 
John Bull to inquire into our strange military operations, by permission of 
our Secretary of War, visited us on Morris Island, and studied, as best they 
could, our work. These sons of Mars and of Johnny were Lieutenant-Col- 
onel Galmay and Captain Alderson of the British Army, and Captain 
Goodnough of the Royal Navy. Our visitors looked over our front, gazed 
on our guns — albeit we did not reveal the best pieces under Putnam that 
played on Charleston and were that day silent — then dined, drank, chat- 
ted with our shoulder-straps, and retired with some new artillery problems 
in their heads. 

April 7. William S. Brown (Company A), absent on furlough, died, 
in Huntington, Mass., of pulmonary disease. 

As a specimen of mortar practice, we give reports of mortar firing 
from Battery Seymour, by Capt. D. B. Churchill, for April 3d and 29th, 
1864: — 



April 3. 

o 

£ » 

At 

w o 


Object. 


Distance, yards. 


Elevation, 
degrees. 


Length of fuse, 
seconds. 


Charge of shell. 


Charge of car- 
tridge. 


Shells expended. 


Powder expended, 
pounds. 


Fuzes expended. 


Primers 
expended. 


Good shots. 


Shots falling 
short. 


Shots going over. 


No. 1. 
No. 2. 


Sumter. . 
Sumter. . 


1,800 
1,800 


45 
45 




3 
3 


3 i 


42 

38 


2571 
232| 


42 
38 


44 
46 


40 
35 


2 
3 


















80 


490 


80 


90 


75 


5 




April 29. 

No. 1. 

No. 2. 
13-inch 
mortar. 

No. 1. 


Sumter. . 
Sumter. . 

Sumter. . 


1,800 
1,800 

1,800 


45 
45 

45 


17-5- 

nV 

io 

20 


3 
3 

6 


3 
3 


45 
37 

110 


270 
222 

1326| 


45 
37 

110 


56 
44 

140 


20 
16 

50 


10 

9 

20 


15 
12 

40 












! 




192 


1818| 


192 


!240 


86 


39 


67 



On the 3d of April, it was calm, and the firing was in the night. On 
the 29th the wind was high and shifting, and both powder and fuzes were 



240 



SHOT AND SHELL. 



[April, 



poor. The other mortars, in Battery Barton, did similar work. These 
batteries were on the flanks of Fort Chatfield. 

The following official paper will show that our Colonel at this time held 
a threefold rank ; and we may add that he was more than equal to the 
duties of his positions : — 

Head-Quarters Hilton Head, ) 
Hilton Head, S. C, April 29, 1864. ) 

General Orders No. 9. 

I. By direction of the Colonel Commanding the District, the undersigned, in 
addition to his duties as Chief of Artillery of the Department, assumes command 
of this Post. 

II. The following officers are announced on the staff of the Colonel Com- 
manding : — 

First Lieut. F. A. Wilcoxson, Third Rhode Island Artillery, Post Adjutant. 
First Lieut. Edwin Fretz, One Hundred and Fourth Pennsylvania Volunteers, 
A. A. D. C. 

III. First Lieut. J. G-. Stevens, Fifty-Second Pennsylvania Volunteers, is 
hereby relieved from duty as Post Adjutant, and will rejoin his Regiment. 

C. R. BRAYTON, 

Official : Colonel Third Rhode Island Artillery, Commanding Post. 

F. A. Wilcoxson, 

First Lieutenant Third Rhode Island Artillery, Post Adjutant. 

..^ _ _ .. By orders from Washing- 

ton, General Gillmore was 
now about to take much of 
the old Tenth Corps to 
Virginia, to join General 
Butler, to co-operate with 
General Grant in the grand 
movement against Rich- 
mond. 

General Gillmore took north with him nearly 18,000 men, a draft that 
essentially weakened the aggressive force of the Department. We had a 
force of about 16,000 remaining. 

Steadily the ocean was making aggressions on Morris Island. The 
equinoctial storm this }*ear, continuing more than a week, swept from some 
places on the face of the island more than twenty feet. Since our landing 
here, in July, 1863, the high water line at the south end, where the general 
officers had their head-quarters, had receded about 200 feet towards the 
bluffs. Major Brooks, engineer on General Gillmore's staff, reported that 
during fifty days in the early part of the siege, the sea had encroached as 
many feet upon the front of the island where we were engaged. At the 
time the coast survey officers were empk^ed here, in 1849, they had a sta- 
tion on a sand bluff about two hundred and fifty feet seaward from the site 
of, Wagner, where now, at low tide, there were not less than ten feet of 
water. But we think these inroads of the sea are of an oscillating charac- 
ter ; now sweeping away for a time immense quantities of sand, and then, 




FORT WAONER (SEA FRONT). 



1864.] 



THIRD R. I. H. ARTILLERY. 



241 



for a time, from changing sea-currents, depositing like quantities brought 
from other localities of the sandy coast. Indeed, the margin of South 
Carolina has been, like the sandy politics of the State, given to secession 
and confederation, according to the varying stress of passionate gales. 

Adjutant Gorton tells the following story : " After the departure of the 
old Tenth Corps, and our armies were, according to the New York papers, 
meeting with reverses on certain fields, I was sitting in front of my quar- 
ters, a little blue in my thoughts, when there carne along an old lame negro 
woman. I spoke to her and asked her to be seated and get a moment's 
rest. I then remarked upon the war and inquired : ' In case the Johnnies 
succeed in getting the best of us, what will become of the colored people?' 
Rising from her seat and reverently casting her eyes towards heaven, with 
upraised hand and extended finger, she replied, 4 Massa, de great God in 
heaben will neber permit urn.' I thought if that poor old crippled slave 
could have such confidence in our cause, it was time I took a little more 
stock in it ; and my blues vanished." 

The Chaplain, under his general pass from General Gillmore for every 
part of the department, on duty, ran down the coast to St. Augustine, of 
which he wrote as follows, under date of 

"June 5. St. Augustine is the jewel city of this fair land of flowers. 
It is the oldest and oddest city of America; purely Spanish in its plan, 
architecture, and mairy of its customs. Here stand the walls of heavy 
mason work {coquina) of the first house built by Europeans on our conti- 
nent. On the cathedral hangs the oldest bell that sounds in the western 
world, cast in Spain in 1608. The city was founded in 1564 — more than 
300 years ago. Originally a fortified city, one of the city gates, with por- 
tions of the wall on the east, of coquina, recalls the olden years. The 
ancient fort — now Fort Marion — guarding the harbor, was commenced 
with the city, and was nigh 100 years in building. About a hundred years 
ago it was repaired. The material is coquina. The work is a beautifully 
wrought and bastioned quadrangle with watch tower, demilune, moat and 
covered way. Over the sally-port are old Spanish tablets with inscriptions, 
legends and coats of arms, belonging to by-gone days, yet in good preser- 
vation and promising to defy the storms of other centuries. 

The work still contains man}' old Spanish cannon, now dismounted and 
stored in the terre-plein. In the base of the southeastern bastion are two 
dark, barbaric dungeons. The inner one is a horror indeed, dark as Ere- 
bus. You enter it by creeping on your knees, following your guide with 
his lamp. When lately cleared out, it was found to contain several human 
skeletons — vestiges of inquisitorial wrath. Were these dungeons planned 
by Melendez, the founder of the city? In one of them was found, buried 
in fine sand, the remains of his great mahogan}' treasure chest. 

The streets of St. Augustine are regular, but most of them extremely 
narrow, after the style of old Spanish cities, some not twenty feet in 

16 



242 



SHOT AND SHELL. 



[June. 



width ; and over the streets hang antique balconies. The plaza, or public 
square, on the harbor side is delightful. In it, and in courts, gardens, and 
lawns, are many shrubs and beautiful trees of a tropical character, the 
date palm, the banana palm, the pomegranate, the fig, the guava, the plum, 
the orange, and the lemon. Some of the orange and plum groves are 
charming. The most princely tree is the date palm, standing proudly with 
its plumed head overshadowing all its fellows. At the entrance of the har- 
bor, along the high banks of sand, are great numbers of the high, branch- 
ing Spanish bayonet, that in May and June hang out their host of immacu- 
late blossoms. 

Floridian scenery on the banks of the St. John's River, and in the re- 
gions around Jacksonville and Pilatka, was very attractive to our northern 
vision ; albeit the navigation of the St. John's was attended with a disa- 
greeable uncertaint} 7 from the torpedoes strewn in its channel b}'the rebels. 
We passed the wreck of the steamer Harriet A. Weed, blown up by two of 
these sunken engines Ma}' 9th ; and six others, unexploded, were found near 
her. Within a few weeks we thus lost three vessels. The snaky alligators 
rolling in the mud along the banks and in the marshes seemed very indif- 
ferent about the war. The vegetable kingdom was beautiful ; the oaks on 
the bluffs, the pines on the low lands rising a hundred feet in the air, the 
soldier-like c} T presses, the clusters of palmettoes, the hedges of myrtle and 
jessamine, the vast acres of reeds, the sacred patches of passion flowers — 
all gave to the country a charm that even the sombreness of war could not 
eclipse. 

At Fernandina, Fla., we first saw specimens of " white trash," com- 
monly known as poor whites or " crackers," and in Georgia familiarly known 
as " clay eaters." They were too white to be slaves, too poor to be slave- 
holders, and too stupid to acquire property, and were alike despised by 
slaveholders and slaves. From lack of native energy, and because southern 
society aLowed of no third class between masters and servants, these poor 
whites seemed conscious that they had no future. While the slaveholders 
fought for their institution, and the slaves escaped within our lines to work 
and fight for their permanent freedom, the stolid " white trash" sat in their 
hovels unmoved and immovable. Though we did not see them eating clay, 
their faces certainly looked as if they were made of poor soil. 



CHAPTER XLV. 



WORK OF OUR LIGHT GUNS. 
April, 1864, — Juxe, 1865. 

On varied fields is duty's fight. 

Our light batteiy, Compaq C, from our arrival in South Carolina, had 
only occasionally been' with the head-quarters of the regiment. On every 
expedition where mounted men and light guns were demanded, this Com- 
pany, which always bore a good name for skill and bravery, was called for. 
And now when the call came from the War Department for General Gill- 
more and a portion of the veterans of the Tenth Army Corps to move to 
the support of General Grant in his siege of Richmond, this Company was 
chosen to operate with that force. Leaving Jacksonville, Fla., they joined 
the forces at Hilton Head. 

As previously noticed, when Col. Brayton took command of the regi- 
ment the head-quarters were removed from Fort Pulaski, Ga., to General 
Terry's head-quarters on Folly Island, as the Colonel was Chief of Artil- 
lery under the General in that district of the department ; and when the 
General went to Virginia our head-quarters were removed to Hilton Head. 

. 4 ' When the troops under General Terry were ordered to rendezvous at 
Hilton Head preparatory to proceeding to Virginia," says Adjutant Gorton : 
44 1, with my Sergeant-Major — 'Jeff Davis' — Tom Ramsej^ — the largest 
man in the regiment, the wagon-master, and nry colored servant, ' Sam,' 
were left at head-quarters on Folly Island to bring down camp equipage, 
horses and stores, as soon as we could secure transportation. We were 
left with a bare picket line under command of Colonel Alford. The steamers 
crowded with troops left in full view of the enemy, which of course sug- 
gested to them some ideas ; hence at dusk they opened fire on our pickets 
with shot and shell from their batteries. Near midnight, as the fire was 
continued and heavy, I confess I wanted to go home, lest my long cher- 
ished wish to see Charleston should be gratified before morning. Not for- 
getting my trust, I took the regimental colors, wrapped them in an old tent- 
fly, and, with the assistance of Sam, hid them under the bank near the 
shore, covering them with the light sand, unwilling that the Johnnies 



244 



SHOT AND SHELL. 



[June, 



should have the satisfaction of waving the flag of the Third Rhode Island. 
We watched anxiously from our position, not being on fighting duty just 
then. When morning came, didn't I use my language to procure transporta- 
tion to Hilton Head ? Having secured it, we struck our remaining tents, 
not exactly according to tactics, but in time that would have astonished the 
Regulars." 

April 30. Our light battery (Company C), Captain James, left Hilton 
Head on steamers Delaware and Beaufort for Fortress Munroe. 

Maj.-Gen. J. G-. Foster succeeded General Gillmore in command of the 
Department. 

Our April return for the command mentions the positions of our com- 
panies thus : A, at Jacksonville, Fla. ; B, at Hilton Head ; C, in Vir- 
ginia ; D, K, L, in Fort Pulaski, Ga. ; E, F, H, I, M, on Morris Island, 
S. C. ; G, on Tybee Island, Ga. 

Company A remained in Florida, with head-quarters in Jacksonville, 
for several months, occasionally finding lively exercise in raids. 

On their passage to Virginia, our 
boys of Company C had another en- 
counter with the elements off Cape 
Hatteras, and seriously debated about 
surrendering their horses to Neptune 
in order to save the steamer. The 
Beaufort, halting in Hampton Roads 
only long enough to draw a supply of 
forage, moved, May 4th, up James 
River — at one time grounding in a 
dangerous place — and landed, May 
5th, at City Point, from which they 
pushed on and reached Bermuda Hundreds, May 10th. The detachment 
on the Delaware landed at Glocester Point, May 3d, where they remained 
until the 6th, and then moved — riding their bare-backed horses from 
Yorktown to Fortress Munroe, camping one night on their way. On the 
7th they embarked on the Thomas Jeiferson, with their horses, and moved 
to City Point, from which, on the 9th, they marched all night, reaching 
Bermuda Hundreds on the 10th. 

The light battery brigade consisted of Batteries B, D, and E, Third 
United States Artillery, First Connecticut Light Battery, New Jersey Bat- 
ter} r , and our Company ; all under Captain Elder, acting as brigade com- 
mander. 

On our march from Glocester Point we passed through Yorktown, a 
historic spot on account of the surrender of Lord Cornwallis and the Br t- 
ish army, that decided the Revolutionary struggle, but otherwise an unat- 
tractive locality, boasting only a dozen houses, a post-office, a grocery 
store, a wheelwright's shop, and a blacksmith's shanty. Our march through 




DE. FEIEND 1 S HOVBE. 



1864.] 



THIRD. R. I. H. ARTILLERY. 



245 



sand and dust, under a hot sun, was very fatiguing. From Fortress Mon- 
roe we took steamer to Bermuda Hundreds, where we pitched camp near 
the river. Look where we might, on stream and plain, only the pre *b of 
grim-visaged war were before us ; Virginia was reaping the harvest of her 
secession. General Butler's forces consisted of the Eighteenth Corps, 
under Gen. W. T. Smith ; the Tenth, under General Gillmore ; and Kautz's 
division of cavalry. 

May 12. Hitched up at 5 o'clock, a. m., and advanced six miles to 
Walthal Junction on the Petersburg road, and six miles from Petersburg, 
where our infantry tore up the track. Our artilleiy brigade was associated 
with the infantry under Gen. A. Ames. At this station we remained two 
days, entertained only by picket firing. 

May 15. Started at 4 o'clock, a. m., to join our forces near Drury's 
Bluff, being posted on the right of the army, about nine miles from Rich- 
mond. There was constant firing on the front. 

May 16. Says Lieutenant Sabin : " At daylight we were aroused by 
heavy firing and repeated volleys of musketry. So dense was the fog that 
we could scarcely see the length of a gun, and the rebels, taking advantage 
of this, had thrown heavy masses of infantry against our right, in front of 
Fort Johnson. They crawled up in the fog, and took our pickets before our 
men could fire a gun. At first all was confusion and a rout seemed inevi- 
table. But our troops soon rallied, and the fog lifted, and we shortly 
checked the rebel horde and held our ground. At 3 o'clock we were ready 
to entertain them. We were forced back about a mile, when we formed a 
second line of battle, and at five returned to our old camp. 

" Our battery took a very important part, although not so closely en- 
gaged as some others. We occupied about a dozen different positions and 
did effective service. At one time we were posted in front of a wood from 
which our men had just been driven, and where the rebels must be checked 
or a desperate fight against superior numbers would follow. We were 
within about six hundred yards of the woods, our guns loaded, and every 
eye eager to see the form of a ' gray-back.' Soon they came to the edge 
of the wood with that peculiar yell which must be heard to be realized. 
Our six guns opened on them with terrible effect, and laid them in heaps, 
and the force shortly fell back, evidently not pleased with their reception. 

; ' Later in the da}' a rebel battery opened on a section of our battery, 
under Lieutenant Manton, on the turnpike. We soon brought our four re- 
maining guns to bear upon the assailants, and in about half an hour, with 
a cross fire, drove them from their position. Bullets whistled around us in 
a very lively manner, and we had a hard day's work. Upon the whole we 
were worsted ; but it was owing to the fog that we lost the day. Jeff and 
Beauregard were anxious to catch Butler, but failed. At 5 o'clock we retired 
to our entrenchments between the forks of the James and Appomattox 
Rivers." 



246 



SHOT AND SHELL. 



[June, 



May 16. Captain Belger, of the First Rhode Island Light Artillery, 
Battery F, fell into the hands of the enemy. Captain Elder was now our 
Chief of Artillery. 

May. 17. Our lines were attacked at daylight by the enemy in force, 
but we drove them back. Our guns were called to answer and carried on 
the hot discussion for about two hours. In the entrenchments we held 
Battery No. 5. 

May 18. Notwithstanding the rain storm the enemy opened upon us with 
artillery, and we opened in return. They finalty assailed our pickets, but 
without breaking our lines ; and the same kind of fighting continued 
through the next day. 

May 20. Our forces lost a rifle-pit and three companies of infantry. 
Meanwhile our guns were kept hot in defending our front. The following 
day we vigorously shelled the rebel works. On the 2 2d the enemy were 
repulsed on our left, and had one of their caissons blown up. 

Familiar as we were with shot and shell, our experience in the entrench- 
ments here was exceedingly anno3 r ing ; in fact we were under fire nearly all 
the time, taking and giving the best shots that could be made. Whatever 
the enemy gained was held by entrenched works, and they pressed up 
within easy range of our pieces. As their shots reached beyond us, it was 
safer for us in our battery than in our camp a little in our rear ; their cross- 
fire was often quite damaging. From the fault of a primer of one of our 
guns, the men who attempted to re-prime were injured. Richard F. John- 
son had his toe broken, and Elnathan Cory had his thumb split. While in 
Battery No. 5, we changed our camp four times to keep out of range of the 
rebel pieces. 

We exchanged our two twenty-four-pounder howitzers for two three- 
inch D3 r er rifles, which gave us six Dyers. The firing on both sides was 
daily kept up at intervals, the rebels usually opening in the morning. 
Richard F. Johnson of our battery was wounded. But our position was 
immovable ; the work was of a siege character. 

June 1, 2. The siege still raged, both parties playing their guns 
smartly. 

June 7. We were relieved from Battery No. 5, in the entrenchments 
and allowed to camp in the rear for rest. 

June 9. Firing continued on the left and front. 

June 15. Writes Lieutenant Sabin : " At 9 a. m. we had orders to move. 
Crossed the Appomattox, and after marching about nine miles, halted in a 
field near a plantation house which was being used as a hospital. The 
infantry had been engaged all day, and large numbers of the wounded were 
brought in. We patiently waited (though it was hard work) until 5 p. m., 
when orders came to go to the front. We passed up a road through woods, 
till we came upon the edge and almost upon our skirmish line, when we 
placed our guns, by hand, among the trees, with orders that not a man 



1864.] 



THIRD R. I. H. ARTILLERY. 



247 



should speak a loud word. Accompanying us were Battery F, Rhode 
Island Light Artillery and a battery of Regulars of four pieces — sixteen guns 
in all. At a given signal we opened fire. A slight elevation in front of 
us obstructed our view of the object of our aim ; but the guns were worked 
with a will, every man doing his utmost and under a perfect shower of 
minie balls, which made the work intensely exciting. We shall long 
remember this whistling of metal. 

" After firing about an hour — giving the enemy forty-six rounds — our 
Chief of Artillery came forward, waving his hat, and ordered us to cease 
firing. Our victory had been complete. The rebels, under General Wise, 
had evacuatad the forts and retreated to Petersburg ; and but for hesita- 
tion on the part of our commander, General , it is believed we 

could have marched into Petersburg without opposition. Cornelius Bar- 
ber, Peter Mee, and Charles Donahue were wounded. Sergeant, Barber 
was shot in the leg by a minie ball. 
When asked if he wanted assistance, 
he replied : ' No, don't mind me.' " 

Now the siege of Petersburg was 
fairly begun, and, as we shall see, it 
continued till April 2, 1865. 

The Federal losses before this city, 
from June 15th to June 19th, foot 
up 1,298 killed, 7,474 wounded, and 
1,814 missing. On this, the opening 
day, our battery had its casualties. 

Charles Donahue was struck with 
a minie ball. On examination it was 

BULLET PROOF IN THE WOODS. 

found that the bullet had plowed a 

little furrow across his body just at the small of the back, for the moment 
paralyzing him, so that we sent him to the hospital. What was our sur- 
prise in a short time to see him joining the batter}', and hear him remark : 
"Lieutenant Sabin, I'm all right again," and insist upon resuming his part 
in the battle. 

June 16. Our left section went into position and performed some good 
shelling. Afterwards the whole batter}'' took position and rounded out the 
artillery music. After the unavailing charge of the infantry, we were 
allowed to go into park ; but the battle continued all night. 

June 17, 18. The battle was renewed and waged with great vigor. 
Soon after coming into position we received orders, .at 5 o'clock, and 
started back for Point of Rocks, reaching our old camp. The next day, 
18th, we moved near the look-out. We had pushed the rebels to their 
interior works. On the 20th Butler gained a footing at Deep Bottom. 

June 21. At 9 o'clock, crossed the Appomattox by pontoon bridge, 
towards Petersburg again, and at 6 p. m., reached the front within 500 yards 




248 



SHOT AND SHELL. 



[June, 



of a rebel fort. This was a tight and hot place, and we were on the extreme 
right of the armj T . 

June 22. We were within 2,500 yards of Petersburg, and sharp- 
shooters greatly annoyed us. No man could show his head with safety. 
Heard heavy firing on our left. It was dangerous to show one's head above 
the protections. When a battery was wanted to fill this position, General 
Burnside suggested that the Rhode Island boys were the ones to be relied 
on. and so it fell to our lot. 

June 23. Lieutenant Sabin's section fired on the railroad bridge at 
Petersburg, and the Lieutenant had his horse shot. Seven of our horses, 
were wounded. We fired from No. 5, twenty-eight rounds, and No. 6 , thirty- 
two rounds. We suffered also from the hot weather and from a want of 
change of clothes. 

June* 24. At seven in the morning the rebels opened and shelled like 
furies. What water we had was obtained under cover of the darkness at 
night. 

June 25. Opened a little past noon on the railroad bridge, and received 
return fire, while heavy firing was heard at our left. The same order of 
battle continued until the 27th, when we were relieved by the Third New 
York Artillery, and we placed our pieces in a fort at the rear, where we 
fired the next day at long range. On the 30th we fired seventy-two 
rounds, when our troops made an advance. 

In our lines was mounted a monster mortar, called "The Petersburg 
Express," for firing into the city. It was so named from the fact that it 
was mounted on a sort of platform that moved backward and forward like 
a railroad car, to give the gun a needed recoil. This piece, used chiefly at 
night, was particularly dreaded by the rebels, and from whom, as we learned 
by deserters, i*. received it expressive name, as conveying warm and em- 
phatic dispatches, doing no little damage to the city. In our siege opera- 
tions here we recalled the experiences of Fort Pulaski and Morris Island. 
There were constant collisions on the picket-line, and an almost uninter- 
rupted booming of cannon. 

Here we must leave for the present Company C, battling in connection 
with Grant on the ; ' sacred soil" of Virginia in the memorable siege of 
Petersburg and Richmond, while we return to the other companies of our 
command in the Department of the South. The division of our regiment 
thus compels us to write short chapters, and to pass hurriedly from one 
part of the great field to another. 

May 6. Charles D. Stalker (Company A), was taken prisoner in Flor- 
ida, and finally died in prison at Florence, S. C, Feb. 13, 1865. In his suf- 
ferings were the facts that, could the}- have been recorded, might fill a 
touching chapter. 

May 25. Brigadier-General Birney, with quite a force, white and col- 
ored, assisted somewhat by the navy, made a demonstration up the Ashepoo 



1864.] 



THIRD R. I. H. ARTILLERY. 



249 



River, S. C. Serious mistakes occurred among the commanders and pilots, 
that really crippled the plan of the expedition. The steamer Boston 
grounded and was destined. Quite a loss of men, horses and munitions 
was suffered. A detachment of our regiment was in the action on board 
the armed transport Plato (Capt. R. I. Getty), used at the time by General 
Birney as his head-quarters or flag-ship. Our bo} r s behaved gallantly. 
William Hobert (Company F), while putting a shell into his gun, was 
injured by a premature explosion ; and after the fuse of the shell was thus 
ignited, Hobert coolly threw the shell overboard and it burst in the water. 
The sponge of the gun was blown overboard, and another of our men leaped 
overboard and swam nearly two hundred yards and recovered it, under the 
enemy's fire. 

May 25.. Two sections of Compan3 T A, of our regiment, with Seventh 
United States Colored and 200 of Seventy-fifth Ohio, mounted, started at 
10 o'clock, a. m. , from Jacksonville, Fla., on the King's Road, toward 
Finnigan Camp. About 4 o'clock, p. m., we struck the rebel pickets 
and drove them in and across Cedar Creek. Halting the column, 
Colonel Shaw sent the three right companies across the creek to skirmish, 
while the pioneers rebuilt the destroyed bridge. Shortly firing ceased and 
the men were preparing supper. Again the firing opened. The enemy in 
front were in force. Company A brought their pieces into position and 
opened a hot fire, under which our skirmishers and finally the whole force 
fell back. Our guns covered the withdrawal by occasionally giving the 
enemy a few compliments of iron. Darkness shut down upon us through 
the heavy pines while we moved back to Jacksonville. 

In the latter part of May General Gorton planned an expedition from 
Jacksonville against Camp Milton, a rebel work beyond Ten Mile Station, 
on the Florida and Gulf Railroad. The two columns, one under Colonel 
Noble (Seventeenth Connecticut) , the other under Colonel Shaw (Seventh 
United States Colored Troops), were to co-operate, though advancing by 
different routes ; the first moving up the St. John's River by steamer as 
far as practicable, and then over land ; the other to march direct by way 
of Camp Finnigan. 

May 31. Colonel Noble left at dark; Colonel Shaw, at 10 o'clock, 
p. m. , with his Seventh United States Colored Troops, Seventy -fifth Ohio 
(mounted), One Hundred and Forty-fourth New York, and Company A, 
of our regiment, marched to Three Mile Run, where we bivouacked. 

June 1. At 4 o'clock, a. m., we resumed our march, and, advancing 
to Cedar Creek, found the bridge destroyed, which was soon repaired by 
our pioneers, when we crossed and threw up a rifle-pit for its protection. 
About noon we reached Camp Finnigan and found it abandoned. Near 
4 o'clock, p. m., we reached Ten Mile Station, where Colonel Noble and 
his column had already arrived and were holding the rebel works. The 
movements of the two columns had turned the enemy's position both at 



250 



SHOT AND SHELL. 



[July. 



Camp Finnigan and Milton — the last a work of no little strength — about 
a thousand yards of earthworks, block-houses, and barracks. The flames 
from the burning works lighted our bivouac, near the railroad. A fray 
with the foe on our picket line brought us into line near midnight. 

June 2. The front got into a lively musketry dispute about 9 o'clock. 
a. m. General Gordon, commanding all our forces, learning that the rebels 
were advancing, used our artillery to cover his falling back, and especially 
to protect the bridges. We returned in safety to Jacksonville. 

July 22. Late in the afternoon, with Seventh United States and other 
forces, on steamers, Company A moved out again from Jacksonville on a- 
raiding expedition. Pushing up the St. John's as far as Black Creek, and 
about four miles up that stream, we landed and bivouacked on the road. 

July 23. Moved forward about a mile and halted, and finally marched 
to Middleborough Bridge. 

July 24. Moved to a bridge over a tributary of Black Creek, where on 
the appearance of a troop of rebel cavaliy , our guns gave them some speci- 
mens of ferruginous pepper not exactly to their taste, and so induced them 
to withdraw. In the evening we advanced to Webster's Court House and 
chose a bivouac. 

July 25. Moved forward ; the mounted troops having some leaden dis- 
putes. Having improvised a bridge over a creek, in the afternoon we 
reached and cut the Florida and Gulf Railroad at Trail Ridge ; and then 
aimed for Darby's on the Florida Central road. 

July 26. Reached Darby's, onl} r to find it in flames, together with a 
depot of rosin stored there. Onward we marched to Baldwin to find it 
also evacuated. To this point an engine came up from Jacksonville with 
supplies. This town — the objective point of the expedition — is at the 
intersection of the Florida Central, and Florida and Gulf Railroads — in 
itself an inferior little town in a swamp. Here we remained a few days 
and then marched back, by Ten Mile Station, to Jacksonville. 



CHAPTER XLVI. 



HONORS ON MORRIS ISLAND. 
June, 1864. 

Fair honor waits to crown the brave. 

If ever the full record of our civil war is given to the world, large 
honors will be awarded to the men who, on decks, and in trenches and forts 
prosecuted the siege of Charleston. Their strong and continuous blows, 
month after month, told heavily on the famous city of the insurgents, and 
sent their echoes round the world. Foreign nations withheld their 
recognition of the Confederacy while Charleston was being bruised and 
charred by our artillery. 

June 26. The "Medals of Honor" awarded by Major-General Gill- 
more for " Gallant and Meritorious Conduct" in the reduction of Morris 
Island and demolition of Sumter, were bestowed upon our men with ap- 
propriate ceremonies and addresses. The General Order No. 94, issued 
by General Gillmore in October, 1863, specifies that these " Medals of 
Honor " should be awarded to three per cent, of the aggregate strength 
of the regiments, companies, and detachments in the actions in the bat- 
teries and trenches. Accordingly ten of the gallant men of our regiment 
received these decorations for valor and ability ; two in each of the five 
companies engaged in the memorable battles. The men were : S. F. M. 

Bushee (Company B) ; (Company B) ; Sergt. John F. 

Newcomb, wounded (Company D) ; John Nickerson, who had died of 
wounds (Company D) ; James McGuire (Company H) ; Michael Ryan 
(Company H) ; Daniel Currie (Company I) ; Michael Gormley, who lost 
his arm (Company G) ; Sergt. George F. Hazen (Company M) ; Thomas 
Cryan (Company M) . The presentations were made before the battalion 
at dress-parade, accompanied by suitable remarks from the officers and 
the Chaplain. Where all our men behaved so gallantly under the heavy 
missiles, it was no easy task to select the proper persons to bear those 
honorable distinctions and rewards. In Companies B and H the selection 
was made by lot. In some cases the men insisted that the honors should 
be bestowed upon the wounded. 

The medals were of choice prize metal, olive-colored, larger than a 



252 



SHOT AND SHELL. 



[June, 



half dollar piece, very finely wrought, with ornaments and mottoes in re- 
lief ; the face reading : ' ' For Gallant and Meritorious Conduct. Pre- 
sented by Maj.-Gen. Q. A. Gillmore ; " the obverse reading: "Fort 
Sumter, Aug. 23, 1863," with a relief view of the demolished fort. They 
were surmounted by swivel cap-pieces, bearing the inscribed names of the 
recipients, and furnished with clasps that held grounds of heav}^ red silk 
ribbon and attached the whole decoration to the left breast of the wearer. 
The medals were accompanied by elegantly struck certificates, bearing 
the soldier's name, the award, fac-similes of the faces of the medal, and 
the bold signature of Major-General Gillmore. 

On the same day an interesting affair occured in Fort Putnam, while 
our gunners were engaged in a hot and heavy duel with the rebel forts on 
James Island. A rebel shell cut off the top of the topmast of the flag-staff 
in Putnam, and our flag ran down to half-mast. In an instant, defying the 
shots of the enemy's sharp-shooters in Sumter and the shell from the 
engaged batteries, George F. Sweet (Company E) , darted up the mast and 
brought down the flag. Immediately upon this, F. W. Tibbets (Company 
M), who had been a sailor, climbed to the cross-trees, repaired the top- 
mast, and lifted again defiantly the good old banner of the brave. And 
following this, one of our men trained a thirty -pounder Parrott and shot 
away the flag and flag-staff of Sumter. Such coolness, daring, and skill, 
won the warmest encomiums. Maj. G. Metcalf and Capt. P. J. Turner, 
who were present, handsomely complimented the gallant men. When the 
rebels raised a second flag in the ruins of Sumter, one of these expert gun- 
ners again cut the rebel rag down. The cheering following these exploits 
was loud and long. 

June 29. Lieutenant Burroughs trained a 200-pounder Parrott upon 
Castle Pinckney, distant about three and a fifth miles, and Sergeant 
Spooner with three out of five shots smote the castle. We dropped our 
shells into Charleston whenever we pleased ; but the size of the castle 
made it the smallest armed target that we had selected ; and its occupants, 
feeling that the}?- were exempt from our regards, and safe, were sitting and 
strolling about on the work. Our magnificent shots produced among them 
an indescribable excitement. From that hour the work began to undergo 
a change, and soon, by sand-bags and timbers, it became transformed into 
quite a solid earthwork. Yet it was never regarded as a point of vital 
military importance. 

The ten, twenty, and thirty-pounder Parrotts performed admirably, and 
had great endurance. The larger guns were excellent in duty but brief in 
life. The average number of rounds sustained by the 100 and 200-pounders, 
excluding those in which the bursting could be traced to the premature ex- 
plosion or breaking of a shell, was three hundred and ten. 

The following table presents a* view in figures of the size, calibre and 
weight of some of our guns, and the weight of cartridges and shot. 



1864.] 



THIRD R. I. H. ARTILLERY. 

PARROTT RIFLED GUNS. 



253 



Size of Guns. 



Inches Di- 
ameter of 
Bore. 



Inches 
Length of 
Bore. 



Pounds 
Weight. 



Pounds 
Charge 
Powder. 



Pounds Weight 
of Shot. 



10-pounder 
20-pounder 



2.90 
3.(37 
4.20 
4.20 
6.40 
8.00 
10.00 



70 

79 

120 

96.8 

130 

136 



890 
1,750 
4,200 
3,550 
9,700 
16,500 
26,000 



1 

2 



9f to 10 
18f to 19* 



30-pounder army, 
30- pounder navy. 



10 

16 
25 



29 
29 
80 
150 
250 



100-pounder 
200-pounder 
300-pounder 



It is worthy of record that our marvelous success in throwing metal and 
flame into the city of Charleston — a horizontal distance of five miles — 
was very largely due to the novel and peculiar gun-carriage we employed. 
The kinds of gun-carriages hitherto known would not endure such heavy 
firing at such great elevations. The elevation in some cases was about 
forty degrees. Some of the missiles would be thirty-six seconds on their 
path. Special provision had to be made for the recoil of the gun. The 
new carriage invented, which was kept a secret from all visitors — even 
from the officers from abroad — consisted of long elastic timbers of such 
size and adjustment as allowed the gun to spring down and backward on a 
parabolic curve. 

The battery appropriated chiefly to firing on Charleston was in front of 
Fort Putnam, close under its face, concealed and guarded by parapet and 
traverses of marsh sods, and sand, and known as the Water Battery. 
Into this, visitors were cautiously admitted. 

Our bo} T s had their episodes of service. One day a brave man, hav- 
ing purchased of the sutler a can of lobster, thought, before broaching it, 
to have it warmed for the improvement of its relish. Gathering splinters 
and sticks, he soon had a fire in the sand, on which he placed his unbroached 
can. To encourage the flames he bent down and blew the waning 
brands with his earnest breath, when, — Zounds ! bang went the can, by ex- 
plosion from generated steam, and away went the simmering lobster, no 
small part of it smiting the man on head and face, making him look as if 
he had the small-pox in a very irritating form. 



CHAPTER XLVII. 



ACTION ON JAMES ISLAND. 
July, 1864. 



The valiant tread old battle-grounds. 

July 1. General Schemmelfennig-, in command of the Northern Dis- 
trict, led the Seventy-fourth Pennsylvania, One Hundred and Third New 
York, Fifty-fourth and Fifty-fifth Massachusetts, (colored,) and the 
Thirty-third United States Colored Troops from Folly to Long, from Long 
to Tiger, from Tiger to Coles, and from Coles to James Island, landing 
south of Secessionville, where at break of day, July 2d, our troops drove 
in and captured some of the enemy's cavalty pickets, and then dashed on 
a batteiy and captured two twelve-pounder guns, and thus gained a foot- 
hold. Lieutenant-Colonel Ames, of our regiment, as Chief of Artillery, 
accompanied the storming party. Heavy cannonading now commenced and 
continued day and night, disputing the soil of James Island. G-eneral 
Hatch now came up with forces he had led from Edisto Inlet and River by the 
way of John's Island and struck James Isla nd on the west . Re-enforcements 
also went under Generals Saxton and Birney to aid in the movement. Gene- 
ral Foster had command of all. All our troops behaved admirably, disre- 
garding the hot hail of the rebel artillery ; and the colored troops won 
fresh praise for their coolness and intrepidity. To assist and instruct the 
colored troops in handling artillery, some of our sergeants and corporals 
were in the hottest of the action. 

The guns handled by Corp. R. B. S. Hart (Company H), on Long Is- 
land, did such splendid execution that the rebels turned two Brooke rifles 
and two eight-inch columbiads upon his batteryto disable it, and well-nigh 
succeeded by plowing down its protection and tearing up everything around 
it. At last, while the corporal was sighting his piece, an eighty-seven 
pound shell from a Brooke rifle came so close to his head as to cut off the 
edge of the vizer of his cap, the outer cloth of the side of his 
cap, leaving the lining, and also cut off the tip of his right ear. 
But he instantly sprang to his gun again. His loss of cap, ear, 



1864.] 



THIRD R. I. H. ARTILLERY. 



255 



and blood did not deplete his courage, and when relieved from his 
post, as he quickly was by a wise caution, and taken back to the hospital, 
he was extremely anxious to return to the front and assist Sergeant 
Spooner and his comrades, and return his material compliments to the 
enemy. 

The action on the southern portion of James Island continued with 
varying fortune for a number of days. Corporal Hart was often detailed, 
and sometimes for long periods, in giving instruction to other regiments in 
the use of heavy guns. 

To aid in this action on James Island, Lieutenants Bible and Williams, 
with detachments from our batteries, were detailed to march down to Stono 
Inlet to man and wield two twenty-four-pounder howitzers, and a Parrott 
gun, on our armed transport, to be sent up the inlet and in the creeks be- 
tween Folly and James Islands. The march had its mirthful events, but 
the service up the creeks was of a more sober character. Our men played 
the game of "give and take" with iron marbles, in highly creditable 
manner, very generously giving the " gray -backs" more than they 
received. They were absent from us on this service for several days. 

Of General Schemmelfennig we are disposed to add, that he was a Prus- 
sian, and had been educated as a military engineer, and had confidence in 
his professional abilities. Having exercised his skill in constructing a map 
of the adjacent islands, laying down with great care the creeks and roads, 
he sent out a reconnoitering party with his map in hand, and gave orders 
that, on reaching a certain point where the road turned to the right, as his 
map would show, the}* should halt and wait further direction. On reaching 
the point, the party found that the road turned to the left and not to the 
right. In their perplexity the}* sent back a statement of the facts. After 
listening to the plain and positive testimony, General Schemmelfennig re- 
plied : t; The map is all right ; but this country here is all wrong." Some 
will also have amusing recollections of the General's experiments with fuses 
and rockets — the latter to serve as a kind of missiles, which they did, but 
by a reactionary movement upon his own men. This experimental force 
of his was humorously styled the u Pocket Brigade." 

We add one more incident furnished by Adjutant Gorton. The Gen- 
eral called for a volunteer to perform a brave and perilous task that he had 
planned. One of our regiment volunteered and reported for duty, where- 
upon the General said : " The Rhode Island Artillery will bore ze hole in 
ze wall of Sumter about ze size of ze barrel, then you will take ze keg of 
powder in ze boat, place it in ze hole made by ze artillery, then ze fort and 
yourself will be blown to h— 1 ; and your whole duty as a soldier will be 
done." Our volunteer, of course, asked for time to carry out his plan. The 
General also had his own peculiar tactics in dealing with the myriads of 
southern mosquitoes by smearing his face with kerosene oil, choosing to 
endure odors rather than the loss of blood. On the whole, however, he 
was a brave and an accomplished officer. 



CHAPTER XLVIII. 



ATTACK ON FORT JOHNSON. 
July, 1864. 



TJie valiant dare to do, or die. 

July 2. While the sharp reports of musketry and the heavy thuds 
of artillery were filling the air on our left, along the southern extremity of 
James Island, an order reached us on Morris Island to instantly organize 
a force, and, during the night, lead it against the forts and batteries on 
Johnson's Point, the north end of James Island, in front of Charleston. 
These objective points were Fort Johnson. Battery Simkins, Fort Pickens, 
and their supporting earthworks. The force consisted of eight hundred 
men, taken chiefly from the One Hundred and Twenty-seventh New York 
and Fifty-second Pennsylvania, with sixty men from our regiment to act 
as infantry during the assault, and as gunners in the captured works in 
case of success, the whole under command of Colonel Hoyt of the Fifty- 
second Pennsylvania. It was supposed that the action then being 
pressed on the south end of James Island had drawn somewhat from the 
rebel garrisons in our front, thus affording a hopeful prospect for the con- 
templated assault. On receiving the order, Maj. G. Metcalf called the 
battalion into line, and, after reading the order, called for volunteers, as 
had been the custom with us on like occasions of details for perilous duty. 
Instantly, in answer to the call, the majorhty of the command stepped 
three paces to the front. This seemed to leave our commander in the 
dilemma of being obliged to select the sixty, after all ; but after duly com- 
plimenting the men on their noble devotion, he counted off the sixty, 
beginning on the right of the line. Officers were named to lead the detach- 
ment, and the men were dismissed to make themselves and their arms 
ready before night. 

In a short time one of the chosen men — a man of superior character 
and abilities, who had left a wife and little son, to enter the service — ap- 
peared before the Chaplain's rude shelter, where the following dialogue 
took place : — 

Soldier. "Well, they won't let you go with us, they say." 



1864.] 



THIRD R. I. H. ARTILLERY. 



257 



Chaplain. "No. They allow only line officers." 
Soldier. "This expedition means business." 

Chaplain. "Certainly; Fort Johnson will not be captured without 
blood." 

Soldier. "Well, you will do what you can for us ? " 
Chaplain. " Surely ; what can I do?" 

Soldier. " Here, take this pocket-book ; it contains dollars. If I 

don't come back — and you see the chances are against us — please send 
it to my wife." 

Chaplain. " I hope 3 r ou will return." 

Soldier. "But further. Here is my watch; please keep it till you 
hear of me, dead or alive. If I fall, will you send this to my boy?" 

Chaplain. " God bless you, and give you success. Your wishes 
shall be followed." 

Such was some of the splendid stock in our command. We are happy 
to state that this man returned to us unharmed. 

The officers selected for our detachment were Captain Churchill, Lieu- 
tenant Bible, and Lieutenant Elliott. Action was still going on, in places, 
on James Island. Meanwhile, the enemy on Sullivan's Island desired to 
claim our attention, on Morris Island, as much as possible. In the after- 
noon Moultrie gave us 216 shot and shell, which, while finely sanding our 
works and camps, gave us all the scrap iron we then needed. At the same 
time Forts Greene and Purviance were addressing their weighty regards 
to the village of Secession ville. Before night Lieutenant-Colonel Ames 
returned from James Island to assist in our expedition, and as a volunteer, 
accompanied the One Hundred and Twenty-Seventh New York with Col- 
onel Gurney. 

July 3. The expedition, duly armed and instructed, left Morris 
Island in boats soon after midnight, under cover of the dense fog that 
always on still summer nights wraps in its folds the islands and creeks of 
the southern coast. Proceeding with utmost caution and silence, the force 
reached the rebel front and commenced the attack at 4 o'clock in the morn- 
ing. The surprise was nearly perfect. But there was an unexpected break 
in the line of boats, owing to the fog and a curvature of the shore, and a 
consequent delay in the landing of some of the troops. This forewarned 
the vigilant enem}^ and prepared Fort Johnson for the blow. 

As the first boat of the line touched the shore, a deadly fire of artiller}' 
and musketry poured from the front of Johnson and the neighboring bat- 
teries. In the silence and darkness that had reigned, this eruption of fire 
and sound was awful as it saluted our force and filled our expectant eyes 
and ears on Morris Island, where all were watching the issue with breathless 
anxiety. The right of our line was broken with heavy loss. Such was the 
fiery storm of shell, grape, canister, and volleys of musketry, that the line 
of boats was compelled to fall back. Some had landed, however, and 
17 



258 



SHOT AND SHELL. 



[July, 



begun the work of assault ; here the loss was fearful. The roar of guns 
awoke every rebel stronghold on our front. Battery Cheves (known famil- 
iarly as the " Bull-of-the-Woods"), on the south of Battery Simkins, 
and also Moultrie, away over on Sullivan's Island, turned their guns upon our 
men, which made their situation indeed desperate. Only the mantle of night 
saved them from utter destruction. 

Wild and awful was that scene ; the night lighted up by such awful death- 
flames, and the air rent b}^ such wrathful peals of artillery and sharp 
reports of musketry. The Union loss was nineteen killed, ninety-seven 
wounded, and 135 missing. Among the missing were Colonel Ho} T t and, 
Lieutenant-Colonel Cunningham of the Fifty-second Pennsylvania. One 
brave and good man of our regiment, Peter Connelly (Company F) , in the 
boat with Lieutenant Bible, as they reached the shore under the guns of 
Simkins and encountered a volley, was instantly killed by a ball that passed 
through his neck and head. The body was tenderly brought off, and on the 
following evening we observed suitable and exceedingly solemn funeral ser- 
vices, wrapping the coffin in our national flag, and tearfully laying our fallen 
comrade in his sandy grave beside the mam^ who had fallen on this memor- 
able front. Captain Churchill and his men were the last to leave James 
Island, and so the last to return to Morris Island. 

At this time Colonel Brayton was Chief of Artillery for the whole 
Department of the South ; Lieutenant-Colonel Ames was Chief for the 
Northern District, and Maj. George Metcalf was Chief for Morris Island. 
Meanwhile, Major Bailey commanded the post of Fort Pulaski and Tybee 
Island. Thus the field officers of our regiment held the highest and most 
responsible artille^ positions in the Department ; and they received from 
the superior military authorities the credit of always doing their work 
quickly and well. Our line officers were almost constantly in command of 
forts, earthworks and important batteries ; and both our captains and our 
lieutenants were honored for their work. 

We recollect when Lieutenant-Colonel Ames returned to Morris Island 
from the severe fighting on James Island, just in time to join in the attack 
on Johnson, covered with mud and thoroughly exhausted, throwing himself 
down under a strip of canvas and with an inimitable look and key of 
voice, repeated the consoling words : — 

" Lives of great men all remind us 
We can make our lives sublime," 

and then pointed to the mud on his uniform. He was always full of clas- 
sical sunshine and pertinent humor ; and he alone can tell the story about 
" chickens on an iron-clad." 

Our assault of Fort Johnson was only a part of the military programme 
that was being executed in our department, all of which was intended to 
prevent southern troops from being sent to re-enforce Lee at Richmond or to 
check Sherman's advance to Atlanta. The troops of our department at- 



1864.] THIRD R. I. H. ARTILLERY. 259 

tacked the rebel front in four columns, from as many different points. 
First, our column to strike Fort Johnson ; second, a column of 2,500 under 
Schemmelfemxig to move up the Stono to an attack near Secessionville ; 
third, a force under General Hatch, to move by the North Edisto, cross 
John's Island, and strike James Island in the flank ; fourth, a column of 
colored troops under General Birney, to ascend the Dawhoo in boats, 
march to Rantoul's Creek and cut the important bridge of the Charleston 
and Savannah railroad. 

We wish that the design and limits of our volume would allow us to 
speak, as our hearts prompt us, of the merits of the troops with which we 
were associated in the arduous and perilous services in our department. 
Brave and devoted brothers — officers and men — we found from Maine, 
New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, Pennsylvania, 
Ohio, and other k>3 T al States. Their deeds are their eulogy. We hope 
eveiy command will present to the country its faithful histor} T . Impres- 
sive foot-prints were made b} 7 the loyal army on the shores of the Caro- 
linas, Georgia and Florida. 

July 4. By a premature discharge of a gun in Putnam, a member of 
Company E, Samuel Powley, was so injured in his face as to utterly lose 
his sight. 

July 5. In the lulls of the siege, we looked out upon the fleet of mon- 
itors, gun-boats, and transports — some outside and some inside of the bar. 
The flag-ship held her ensign as the centre of the martial host. A com- 
pany of divers and wreckers were engaged in the endeavor to lift from her 
watery grave the unfortunate Keokuk. The ocean beat its deep requiem 
over the gallant Weehauken ; and just above the crest of the waves rose 
the tops of the masts of the torpedo- wrecked Housatonic. On the south side 
of the channel of Light-House Inlet were the ribs and boilers of one of Johnny 
Bull's ventures in the neutral enterprise of blockade-running. In the 
.elbow of the channel, not far from Fort Moultrie, lay the skeletons of other 
blockade-runners. A Confederate transport steamer hugged the bottom of 
the harbor above Fort Sumter. The rebel rams were satisfied to nurse 
their valor under the banks of the Ashle} T and Cooper Rivers. 

How many soldiers will recall the old Beacon House, near the centre of 
the island, from which we quietly detailed the floor-boards and sheathing 
till only the frame and roof were left, and from the cupola of which, as a 
look-out station, with our glasses we could read the time of day on the 
faces of the town clocks in Charleston, and discern the people passing in 
the streets. Two men were constantly kept as observers and signal offi- 
cers in the tower of this building, till finally, from depletion of material, the 
remaining skeleton succumbed to a southern gale. 



CHAPTER XLIX. 



INCIDENTS ON THE FRONT. 
July — August, 1864. 

What countless deeds remain unsung. 

From necessity our historical sketch is divided into man}' brief chapters. 
From the separation of our companies, and our diversified services, it has 
been impossible to present an unbroken thread of narrative ; but our wide 
and mixed experiences had this advantage, that they brought us into con- 
nection with all the important operations in our department. Should we 
introduce all the stirring incidents, however, that were connected with our 
service, we should present a large volume. 

July 16. Christopher Lovett (Company E), wounded in action. 

We have mentioned that our camps were nearly in the centre of Morris 
Island, and were quite within the range of the enemy's guns. Occasionally 
we were molested by rebel shells. Once Fort Moultrie threw shells beyond 
us, killing some in the camps south of us. To show how coolly our boys 
regarded these rebel salutations, we may mention the fact that, on a 
Sabbath, when the battalion — save the men on duty — was in line, with 
the musicians on the right and the officers in their proper position, all 
listening to the Chaplain, in the midst of his discourse a sixty-four pound 
shell from Moultrie struck a little beyond the right of the command and 
exploded, throwing a cloud of sand over us ; but the men did not stir or 
look to the right ; and they reported that the Chaplain did not turn his 
eyes from his audience or halt in the line of his discourse. 

Among the colored servants employed by the officers, many will 
remember one named Jim, who, at different times, served different field 
officers with great acceptance, as he was distinguished for his industry, 
skill, and economy. None excelled him as a caterer, and no one equaled 
him in husbanding the stores of his mess. Of one of the officer's wives he 
remarked: "She will ruin her husband, she uses such a godly lot of 
sugar." Having lost a can of tomatoes while moving camp, he shortly 
made the balance of stores good by finding a chest of tea. On different 
occasions, when articles of washed clothing were lost from his clothes-line, 



) 



1864.] 



THIRD R. I. H. ARTILLERY. 



261 



he soon made his employer's loss good by finding articles of equal value 
and very similar character, though the marks and names on the articles 
were different from the missing ones. He was sure to account, in some 
way, for all that was entrusted to his care. 

Of course, in the Tenth Army Corps, there were a few daring spirits 
who volunteered to brave the hazards of secret service. Among those 
who made these solitary and perilous advances there was one whose name 
appears upon no roll, but whose services are worthy of honorable mention. 
We allude to March Haynes, a large, well-proportioned, sagacious negro, 
formerty a slave in Savannah, where, hiring his time of his master, he 
engaged as a stevedore and a pilot on the river. Comprehending the 
spirit and scope of the war, he was ready, on the capture of Fort Pulaski, 
to aid the Union and assist his fellow slaves in securing their freedom. 
By means of a suitable boat, that he kept secreted in a creek among the 
marshes, below Savannah, he brought into our lines, at different times, a 
large number of fugitives. Finally, fearing detection, he came in himself, 
and brought his wife. Still he was intent on serving the Union cause. 

He often made reconnoissances in the night, up the creeks along the 
Savannah, gathering information and bringing as?ay boat-loads of negroes. 
General Grillmore furnished him with whatever he needed in his perilous 
missions. He ordered a staunch, swift boat, painted a drab color, like 
the hue of the Savannah River. He might select such negroes to assist 
him as he thought proper. Often he landed in the marshes below Savan- 
nah, and, entering the city in the night, sheltered and supplied by the 
negroes, he spent days in examining the forts, batteries, and camps of the 
rebels, bringing awa} T exact and valuable information. On one of his 
expeditions, being delayed till after da3^1ight, as he and his party were 
coming down a creek, they encountered six rebels on picket. Both parties 
fired. Three rebels were shot by March, and fell dead ; but March him- 
self received a bullet in his thigh. He, however, escaped capture. 

In celebrating the 4th of July, and in honoring the great victories of 
the Union army, the pageant and demonstrations at Port Royal were 
always grand and impressive. The army and the navy united in the 
execution of the orders. Flags were lifted in every camp, battery, and 
fort. Every ship of war, monitor, gun-boat, and transport, from mast- 
head and stays, hung out every possible signal and standard. The old 
Vermont and the leviathan Ironsides were gorgeously decorated. At the 
hour named for the salutes, guns of all calibres, from bank and deck, 
rolled the thundering joy and exultation over the broad harbor, across the 
fair islands, far up to the main-land and out on the sea. Music, parades, 
and festivities gave their emphasis to the national expressions. 

July 20. Company B, stationed at Hilton Head, holding Fort Welles, 
lost one man by drowning ; Daniel Crosb}^ with a party engaged in draw- 
ing a seine in Port Royal harbor', was caught by the undertow of the swell, 



262 



SHOT AND SHELL. 



[July, 



and swept away beyond the reach of his associates. His body was not 
recovered. 

Aug. 1. Captain Col well's 300-pounder Parrott, in Fort Chatfield, 
burst, blowing off the front part. With it he had fired 1,007 rounds ; on 
the preceding day he had fired sevent}^ rounds, using 17,500 pounds of 
metal, 1,750 pounds of powder in cartridges, and 1,190 pounds in the 
shells. Our men often used, in a single day, shot, shell, and powder, to 
the value of $1500, which should be regarded as costly gunning, and was 
so viewed by the rebels. 

Aug. 3. Under a flag of truce the siege ceased for a few hours, while 
a steamer from Charleston came down the harbor and met our steamer Cos- 
mopolitan off Fort Strong, and exchanged about fifty general and field offi- 
cers who had been in prison in Charleston, for the same number that were 
about to be put under the rebel fire on our front. This silence in the siege 
was strange and impressive to us ; our ears had become accustomed to the 
ceaseless thunders of battle. But as soon as the steamers returned to 
their lines the great guns on both sides resumed their hoarse and hostile 
music. 

By order of the Confederate authorities, there arrived, June 14th, in 
the city of Charleston, fifty Federal general and field officers held as pris- 
oners of war, who, according to the enemy's direction, were at once 
quartered in a part of the city swept by our siege guns. Of this barbarous 
deed the commander of Charleston immediately informed General Foster, 
who replied that he should send to Washington for permission to retaliate 
in kind by putting a like number of officers of the same grades, in quarters 
on Morris Island on ground smitten by the rebel cannon. In due time 
General Foster's request was granted, and immediate steps were taken to 
carry out the proposed measure. 

The prison barracks designed for the captive rebel officers to be put 
under the rebel fire, in retaliation for our officers placed under the sweep of 
our guns, were in due time located between Forts Putnam and Chatfield. 
They were to be commodious wooden structures, partitioned into conven- 
ient rooms, and well ventilated, but well barred. The first of these build- 
ings, erected between Chatfield and Putnam, was struck by shell from 
Moultrie before it was finished, and thereafter remained a wreck to be 
plundered by the boys. Two Federal line officers, assisted by negroes, 
escaped from Charleston the night before the exchange of superior officers 
took place. There were still 600 Federal officers imprisoned in the Charles- 
ton jails. 

In reference to the cost of our gunnery, we may record the fact that 
the men of our regiment on Morris Island, from the 7th of July to the 7th 
of August, fired upon Fort Sumter above 10,000 rounds., using more than 
seventy tons of powder and more than seven hundred tons of iron — at a 
cost of more than $200,000. Meanwhile, remember, we were firing at 
other points. 



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THIRD R. I. H. ARTILLERY. 



263 



Aug. 7. During the preceding night the enemy vigorously shelled our 
front, throwing several ugly explosives into and around our eamp ; the 
shots wounded five of our colored pickets, one of them mortally. 

Aug. 9. Again the rebels shelled the island during the night, making 
it very unpleasant in our camp. Meanwhile, they attempted to slip out of 
the harbor a blockade-runner, but she was detected and became a target 
and victim of our guns. 

On this same day, two men of Company B, Elisha H. Crosby and J. E. 
Stewart, lost their lives in Fort Welles, while firing a salute, using a defec- 
tive gun that was captured with the fort in 1861. 

During this month our accomplished Adjutant — G. 0. Gorton — pre- 
pared in pamphlet form a roster of the commissioned officers of the regi- 
ment, that was printed Aug. 31st, at the office of The New South. 

Aug. 10. Again we were vigorously shelled by the enemy. The Bull- 
of-the-Woods bellowed lustily at the Swamp Angel battery. But the em- 
phatic remarks of Forts Strong and Putnam hushed the Bull's roar. 

Aug. 15. As another specimen of our thundering work, we give the 
firing for this day of one of our guns — our 300-pounder Parrott in Fort 
Chatfield, playing on Fort Sumter, using at each discharge twenty-five 
pounds of powder in the cartridge and ten pounds ,in the shell ; firing 
nineteen times, we used 665 pounds of powder and near five thousand 
pounds of metal — certainly producing an impressive result, as fourteen of the 
nineteen were splendid shots. 

Aug. 19. James Crowle}^ (Company E), was killed while on his way 
north to be mustered out. 

A national salute of thirty-five guns was fired on the 15th from Fort 
Welles, "in honor of the late glorious achievement of Admiral Farragut 
and his gallant fleet at Mobile." 

Our men were ever ready for a dash at the rebels ; particularly was 
this true of Company G, who by their bold expeditions secured the name 
of the fighting company. Now stationed on Tj'bee Island, they could not 
be at rest. By consent of Major Bailey (in Pulaski), commanding the 
post, Daniel Jordan, in command of a party in a ten-oared boat, leaving 
Tybee about midnight, pushed up the Savannah, over torpedoes, to the 
rebel picket-line near the obstructions, within range of the guns of Fort 
Jackson. Landing about daylight, they deployed right and left to examine 
the enemy's front, and found it. A rebel pistol raised the alarm. Under 
a shower of lead and iron, they fell back, protected by the river bank. 
The rebels were astonished at their audacity. 

Each arm of the service for our country's defence has its peculiarities. 
That of heavy artillery is the most ponderous and scientific. Great labor and 
skill are requisite in the construction of forts, batteries, redans, redoubts, 
entrenchments, magazines, traverses, and trenches. Both science and ex- 
perience are demanded in mounting and handling the heavy pieces, smooth 



264 



SHOT AND SHELL. 



[August. 



and rifled, and mortars and howitzers ; and in the preparation and use of 
the different kinds of powder and missiles. The art of heavy gunnery is deli- 
cate and recondite, subject to complex conditions and varying circumstan- 
ces, distance, elevation, windage, drift, quality and proportion of powder 
to projectiles, and nameless modifications from positions and weather. In 
these things even Yankee intelligence and ingenuity were taxed to their 
utmost. In our experiences at Fort Pulaski and in front of Charleston, 
General Gillmore was happily surprised by the great success of our guns. 

During the bombardment of Charleston and the long rebel front, there 
were some hours of unusual thunder and of equal danger. At one time, 
when Maj. G. Metcalf was Acting Chief of Artillery, we had orders to 
open at given hours in the day — morning, noon, sunset, and midnight — 
every available piece in all our works — guns and mortars — all at the same 
instant. Zounds ! What a roar, smoke, and shaking of the island. As 
we pitched the tune, the rebels followed it. Their sunset gun on Sumter 
was their signal. From the sea-margin of Sullivan's Island, along all their 
front, down to Secessionville, the} r instantaneously belched their thunders 
and hurled their shot and shell. About that time bomb-proofs and tra- 
verses were appreciated. Doubtless this order of firing sprang from General 
Schemmelfennig's love for experiments. 

It was a strange experience, in the midst of the thunder and smoke of 
the incessant siege, to pause on a sand-knoll and listen to the song-birds 
that still remained on the island, twittering in the chaparral, or leaping to 
the top of a battered palmetto, and warbling their joyous carols, utterly 
Unconcerned with the strifes and commotions of the human world around 
them. These poets of nature lived in a higher, serener air than we. 
Oblivious of the deadly flying missiles, they pursued the songful tenor of 
their hopeful lives. Amid encompassing dangers and the surgings of the 
war-billows, how instructive their pleasing melodies and their sublime 
faith in Providence. A sweet sermon, indeed, the gifted musicians dis- 
coursed to us. 

Brig.-Gen. K. Saxton, as Military Governor of South Carolina, under 
date of Aug. 29, 1864, issued from his head-quarters at Beaufort, a gen- 
eral order and address to the freedmen in the Department of the South, 
stating that he had instituted, with all the necessary officers, " The South 
Carolina Freedmen's Savings Bank, located in the town of Beaufort." At 
once this new thing under the sun for ex-slaves — this Yankee notion on 
new, free soil — commanded the confidence of the colored troops and all 
the blacks, and rapidly rose by its deposits into an institution of great util- 
ity, but afterwards, through its second cashier, became seriously involved. 
One negro brought to the bank $800 in gold. 



CHAPTER L. 



BENEVOLENCES ON THE FRONT. 

August, 1864. 



True hearts heat 'neatli the coats of mail. 

The generosity and benevolences of sailors and soldiers have become 
proverbial. Perhaps this is in part due to the great and broad impulses 
that move these men to choose their perilous pursuits ; their natures have a 
broad, unselfish range. But their many, common, severe toils and suffer- 
ings strongly and indissolubly unite them. Nowhere have we seen more 
brotherly kindnesses, more disinterested acts of charity, more volunteer be- 
nevolences than among our soldiers on the front. Their deep and tender 
sympathies were ever apparent wherever there existed need. And as our 
men were ever ready to bestow needed favors, they were ever thankful 
for such as they received. 

It would be ungrateful in the army not to make most honorable mention 
of the various and timely favors received from the United States Sanitary 
Commission — one of the man}^ happy forms in which the loyal people of 
the country expressed their interest in their brothers on the battle-front. 
Perhaps the services of the Sanitaiy Commission were nowhere more 
needed, as they were nowhere more generously expressed, than on Mor- 
ris Island during the reduction of Forts Wagner and Gregg by assaults and 
saps, and the protracted bombardment of Fort Sumter and the strongholds 
protecting the cit} T of Charleston. Amid the marshes and sand-hills of the 
island, without a supply of good water, under the scorching summer sun, 
delving in saps and throwing up earthworks and bomb-proofs, by day and 
by night, now in skirmish, now in assault, now dragging and now mounting 
— and constantly firing — heavy guns, and perpetually under the sharp, 
deadly aim of the enemy's forts ; the sufferings and needs of our men were 
uncommon. Wounds, sun-strokes, and extreme exhaustions were always 
occurring. 

Under these circumstances, for which the quartermaster and hospital 
departments could not make adequate provisions, the agents of the Sani- 
tary Commission were veritable angels of mercy amongst us. They brought 
us pure water, lemonade, tea, coffee, sugar, extra articles of food and 



266 



SHOT AND SHELL. 



[August, 



clothing, often coming under the fire of the enemy's guns to the extreme 
front on their merciful errands. Into' our hospitals, among our wounded 
and sick, they came regularly with ice-water, cordials, lint, bandages, and 
a nameless variety of comforts for the soothing of suffering and the cheer- 
ing of the disconsolate. Man}^ a precious life was saved by these benevolent 
ministrations. The Commission had a suitable depot of their valuables and 
comforts, and also an ice-house, on the south end of Morris Island, near the 
jetty on Light House Inlet. Never may we forget this Bethesda, or the 
considerate kindness of the people at home who opened it for our relief. 

That our regiment appreciated the services of the Sanitary Commis- 
sion, the following correspondence will testify : — 

"Head-quarters Third Rhode Island Artillery, ) 
Hilton Head, S. C., Aug. 27, 1864. f 

Dr. M. M. Marsh, Agent Sanitary Commission, Beaufort, S. C : — 

Sir: I forward herewith $1,000, a donation of the enlisted men of my regi- 
ment, to the United States Sanitary Commission. I need not mention the feel- 
ings which prompted this generous gift, hut can assure you that so long as the 
bombardment of Sumter and the memorable siege of Wagner and Gregg shall 
remain in memory, so long will the invaluable aid of the Sanitary Commission on 
Morris Island — in camp, in hospital, and in trenches — be remembered by the 
Third Rhode Island Artillery. I beg you, therefore, in behalf of my brave men 
(many of whom are now leaving the regiment after more than three years' hon- 
orable service), to accept this sum for the Sanitary Commission, that all may 
enjoy the blessings, for which, in times of need and peril, we were thankful, and 
which, in the days of our plenty, we esteem it a privilege to assist in extending to 
others. 

I am, Sir, respectfully your obedient servant, 

C. R. BRAYTO-N", 

Colonel Third Rhode Island Artillery. 11 

" Beaufort, S. C, Oct. 4, 1864. 

To the Editor of the Providence Journal : — 

Sir: Being uncertain of the residence of Colonel Brayton, through whom I 
should acknowledge to the Third Rhode Island Artillery the reception of their 
generous gift, I beg leave to give this acknowledgment, and also Colonel Brayton' s 
truly noble letter, an insertion in your paper. Besides, it is eminently due to the 
Third Rhode Island Artillery that their brothers of the State should know that 
these men are as generous as they are brave. They have honored even Rhode 
Island. In the camp and in the field she can furnish no superiors. In exhausting 
and continuous labors, in exact discipline, and in the perilous front, no troops 
can excel them. The Department of the South will gratefully remember their 
arduous labors and noble daring; and the members of the United States Sanitary 
Commission here must ever cherish a fraternal remembrance of the Third Rhode 
Island Artillery. 

Most respectfully, 

M. M. MARSH, 
Medical Inspector for the Commission. 11 

The contribution alluded to above was from ten of our companies. 



1864.] 



THIRD R. I. H. ARTILLERY. 



267 



Another company, before leaving the front, gave to the Commission 
$25, which Dr. lyiarsh handsomely acknowledged. 

While our officers and men tenderly remembered each other in their 
sufferings, they did not forget the families of their fallen comrades. We 
have before mentioned the gift of Company H to the widow of James 
Campbell of $100. The regards of the officers and men in Fort Pulaski, 
for the mother of James Grimes (Company K) , took the form of a dona- 
tion amounting to $650. When Peter Connelly fell, in the assault upon 
Fort Johnson, his comrades of Company F sent to his wife $93. When 
leaving the front, the members of Compan} 7 E presented a purse of $100 
to their comrade, Samuel Powley, who was wounded July 4th, in Fort Put- 
nam. These facts but indicate the constant heart-throbs that warmed and 
shaped the lives of our brave cannoniers. 

. Will it ever be known, till the revelations of the last great day, how 
much of consolation and cheer were ministered to our men in their camps 
and hospitals by the kindly communications and offices of the excellent 
Christian Commission, that sent out Christian men and women to speak to 
us words of love, and distribute along the front Bibles, hymns, books, 
periodicals, and needed stationeiy. Regiments and posts without chap- 
lains were in this way often supplied ; reading-rooms were opened at gen- 
eral head-quarters and in large hospitals, and important assistance was 
rendered to all in their home correspondence. Not infrequently the agents 
of this Commission would assist in bearing the wounded from the fields of 
battle to the rear, into the hands of the surgeons, and to hospitals, and, 
when furloughed, to their homes. Everywhere and well did they fulfill their 
commissions as good Samaritans. 

While some of us, stricken down by disease, lay in the large general 
hospital within the entrenchments on Hilton Head, we were greatly com- 
forted and helped by the tender ministries of female nurses sent to us from 
the North ; though some of these, we think, were volunteers in this invalu- . 
able service. Under whose auspices or directions these worth} 7 nurses and 
hospital assistants acted, we never knew ; but we cannot neglect to give 
them at least thankful historic record. Some of these were of the highest 
rank and culture in our northern cities. We recall certain ones who came 
from homes of wealth and affluence to give themselves to the succor of our 
sick and wounded soldiers. In the crowded wards of a hospital under the 
management of men, according to rigid military rules, it was no little 
solace to look upon the face and to hear the gentle voice of a motherly 
woman, and receive from her hand the carefully prepared medicines. 



CHAPTER LI, 



BATTLE OF GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA. 
Mat — August, 1864. 

Earth's flowery lands are stained with hlood. 

When it was determined that Company C should accompany General 
Gillmore to Virginia, an order was issued to mount Company A as a light 
battery, to aid in our expeditions along the coast. The equipment and drill- 
ing was at Hilton Head. Men of experience, as these were, soon acquired 
the needed additional knowledge. All our men, being expert in the use 
of heavy guns, could as readily handle smaller ones, though they had but 
little experience with horses. In April, the company was ready for service, 
and reported in Jacksonville, Fla. 

Gainesville lies on the line of the Florida Railwa} r , (or West India 
Transit Company) , ninety-six miles from Feruandina, and fifty-five from 
Cedar Keys — nearly equidistant from the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of 
Mexico — a place now of much reputation for invalids. 

Our force of 138 men of the Seventy-fifth Ohio, ninety of the Fourth 
Massachusetts Cavalry, and a detachment of Company A, and some from 
Compan}^ B — temporarily detailed — of our regiment, under Captain Ham- 
ner, moved up the road from Trail Ridge, occupied Starke, captured cars 
loaded with rebel stores, and then advanced on Gainesville, seizing the town 
without difficulty , after a skirmish with the enemy's cavalry. While our men 
were baiting their horses, the enemy, numbering more than 600 strong, 
under Major Dickinson at the head of his cavalry, supported by artil- 
lery and infantry, suddenly and hotly assailed us. Colonel Harris, at 
our head, met the unexpected attack with promptness and courage. 

Aug. 17. The battle was exceedingly hot and earnest. The detach- 
ment of our regiment under Sergt. A. M. Fuller, had charge of a field- 
howitzer and handled it with remarkable vigor and effect. They expended 
all their ammunition, and then stood by their gun to the last waiting for 
supplies and orders. When charged upon by the rebel cavalry they nobly 
repelled the charge with their revolvers. The}^ did all that lay in the 
power of men to do ; but the superior force overcame them when they 



1864.] 



THIRD R. L H. ARTILLERY. 



269 



could no longer play their piece. We therefore lost the howitzer, caisson, 
horses and the following brave men : — 
Killed, Mitchell Prew. 

Captured, Sergt. Alonzo M. Fuller, (Company B) ; Corp. Frank W. 
Horton, Francis A. Hopkins, (Company B) ; Patrick Connelly, Almon D. 
Ide, George H. Luther, Henry C. Reynolds, George Sweetland, Joseph H. 
Wheaton, Stephen H. Hammond, John Creighton. Corporal Horton was 
wounded. J. H. Wheaton was never again heard from. 

Col. A. S. Harris (Seventy-fifth Ohio), commanding our forces, in his 
official report makes the following mention of the behavior of our men : — 

" In honor to Sergeant Fuller, and the detachment which was under his com- 
mand, allow me to say that their conduct was in the highest degree commendable 
during the whole time they were connected with me. They were true soldiers, 
and an honor to their profession." 

These captured men from Company A, with the two from B, were thrown 
into the horrible prison-pen at Anderson ville, Ga. 

The Union loss at this battle was sixteen killed, thirty-two wounded, 
and 102 missing. 

The many thousands of freedmen in the Department of the South mani- 
fested much aptness and thrift in providing for themselves and their fami- 
lies. Where they had any opportunity, on the abandoned plantations, they 
raised, and sold in the military camps, sweet potatoes, peanuts, corn, 
melons and vegetables. Those who had no access to lands, made rush and 
husk baskets for sale, or caught oysters, drum-fish, crabs, shrimp and tur- 
tle. From slabs and logs they erected for themselves comfortable, if not 
elegant cabins. 



CHAPTER LII. 



PRISON EXPERIENCES OF GEO. H. LUTHER. 
August, 1864 — March, 1865. 



Through horr id prisons passed the brave. 

Most justly should we include in our history, some mention of the ex- 
periences and sufferings of such of our faithful cannoniers as fell into the 
ruthless hands of our enemies. As we still held their names on our rolls, 
we held their memories in our hearts, and now we count their privations 
and pains as a part of the price that was paid for our country's emanci- 
pation. We here give the substance of the record furnished us by George 
H. Luther of our light batte^, Company A : — 

"I was captured at Gainesville, Fla., Aug. 17, 1864, by the force, called bush- 
whackers, under command of Colonel Dickerson. I was a lead driver of piece 
No. 3, then under Sergeant Fuller. Our whole force was under Colonel Harris, 
Seventy-fifth Ohio. 

Just before this our whole battery had been out on a raiding expedition. On 
the 10th of August, my piece and caisson, with two companies of the Massachu- 
setts Cavalry, and two companies of the Seventy-fifth Ohio, as mounted infantry 
— in all about three hundred men — branched off, and we were to meet at Lake 
City. After leaving the main force, we did some smart work in destroying salt 
mills and all the public property we found. Once, near midnight, we were 
attacked, but succeeded in defending ourselves. Of course, watermelon patches, 
peach orchards, and some cellars of apple-jack, and specimens of cherry rum 
suffered according to their merits. Marching day and night, halting only to feed 
our horses and take our rations, we had to catch our sleep in our saddles. All the 
streams were forded, as Florida could not boast of bridges. We afterwards 
learned that we were cautiously followed and fully counted by the rebels. At all 
times our situation was critical. 

We reached Gainesville about 5 o'clock on the morning of Aug. 17th, thor- 
oughly jaded and hungry, the shoulders of our horses galled and bleeding. Driv- 
ing into a small grove, we fed our animals, and then took a walk through the little 
southern town. Some obtained corn-cakes, some a little rock candy, and some 
fell upon Confederate scrip. Soon after returning to our grove, and seating our- 
selves for a moment's enjoyment, boom went a gun and over us went a solid shot. 

The rebel force — bushwhackers, for they were no better — consisting of 
nearly a thousand, men of sixty and boys of fifteen, armed with pistols, muskets, 
shot-guns, rifles, and whatever they could muster, now hotly attacked our little 



1864.] 



THIRD R. I. H. ARTILLERY. 



271 



band. We sprang to our posts and worked for dear life. As we had moved into 
an open field and they remained in the wood^, they had the advantage of us. The 
work was short and hot. Very soon the enemy shot down five of the horses on 
the caisson, leaving us only one, and while holding that horse Mitchell Prew was 
killed, receiving two shots — one in each breast. Our men stood to our piece and 
fired heroically, till we had but one canister and one solid shot remaining. 

Corporal Horton was wounded in the foot, and taken to the rear, but soon 
returned and helped us bravely. Sergeant Fuller was separated from us, at the 
opening of the action, and this left Corporal Horton in charge. Finding that the 
rebels were surrounding us, and closing in on all sides, we had orders from Col- 
onel Harris to retreat. We were in doubt as to which way we should turn. As I 
was the lead driver on the piece, the choice of a road fell upon me. After enter- 
ing the main road, I turned into a cart-path, hoping to pass around and find the 
highway by which we came. Hotly the rebels pursued us, firing upon us as rap- 
idly as possible. A huge log lay across our path, over which I was obliged to 
drive. The leap over this tree threw off some of the men who were astride the 
gun. 

Shortly after this, as the enemy was close upon us, a shot struck one of our 
wheel horses in the shoulder, which brought us to a stand. Colonel Harris, who 
was near us at the time, said : 1 Boys, I am sorry for you ; I have stayed by you 
till the last minute ; good bye ; ' and away he went through the dust on his 
splendid horse. He could do no more. 

We could do no less than surrender. And though we did this, about twenty of 
our men were killed afterwards. A mounted rebel came up to me and said: 

'You d d Yankee son-of-a-gun, give me that revolver;' and then ordered me 

to load it for him, as it was empty. I had but a single cartridge remaining. 
Immediately I was ordered to assist in getting our gun in order and taking it 
back to town, about a mile distant. Taking out the dead horse and putting in 
my nigh horse, and hitching up without saddles — since the ' rebs ' had cut all these 
from the animals — we reached town near night, and, by order, put the piece in 
position beside a rebel piece for the defense of the place. 

The enemy had about a hundred and fifty of us as prisoners, and put us for 
the night in a school-house yard, giving us a part of what we had when captured. 
For supper, for the whole company, they allowed us a piece of bacon as large as 
your two hands with some hard-tack. 

Aug. 18. As prisoners of war, under a cavalry guard, we started on foot for 
the Chattahoochie River, and walked about twenty miles. This was our average 
distance ; and we had but one meal a day. Over a part of our route our guard 
was of infantry. Fording all the streams, and plodding on for three days, we 
finally reached the Chattahoochie, where we were put on a cotton boat — a Mis- 
sissippi steamer, whose wheezing lungs could be heard for many miles. 

Passing up the river and reaching the terminus of the Georgia Railroad, we 
took cars and traveled about two hundred miles, and reached our first place of 
permanent imprisonment, the horrid pen of Andersonville. 

Never can we forget our first view of this infamous place. We could see it 
from the station over the hill-side. The ground was black with prisoners. We 
called it the bull-pen, for it was better suited to beasts than to men. Before 
reaching it we were halted and stripped naked, and everything of value was taken 
from us, money, tobacco, blankets, and all that might aid or comfort us. For- 
tunately, I had on a pair of doeskin pantaloons that I retained. We then re- 
ceived the number of our division, the number of our thousand, and the number 
of our mess, but were left to find our places as best we could. 

As we passed in through the big gate the sight was disheartening. About a 



272 



SHOT AND SHELL. 



[August, 



hundred lay along on the ground, some dead, some dying, some purging at the 
mouth. In these we feared we read our own fate. Patrick Connelly and myself 
were placed together, and we strolled around in the hope of finding a place where 
we might lay down, and, finally, found a spot where the prisoners cut hair, and 
here we laid our weary bodies, under the cover of the stars. Our thoughts may 
not be told. 

Little sleep had we that night. Rising in the morning, we found ourselves 
covered with body-lice, from which we were not rid while we remained in that 
abominable place. Hundreds around us were dying of scurvy. These were 
screaming and groaning all night. We passed around to see if any were in the 
pen that we knew, and found several, among them two who were captured a short 
time before ourselves. We refer to those captured from our regiment while they 
were on a foraging tour upon Kiawa Island. They told us of the horrors into 
which we had come, and which can be understood only by those who have 
experienced them. 

We were obliged to conform ourselves to our miserable lot. Strolling around 
the pen, we found about half the prisoners lying on their backs, screaming and 
groaning from scurvy and dysentery, which were the principal diseases. Once in 
twenty-four hours we received rations, sometimes cooked and sometimes raw; when 
raw, we had a small piece of bacon or fresh beef, half a spoonful of salt, a spoon- 
ful of molasses, half a pint of meal, and a gill of beans. 

I sold my doeskin pants for a pair of duck ones with eight dollars in green- 
backs to boot; a lucky trade for me, as I was now able to buy some rice-bags 
out of which Connelly and myself, with sticks and strings, sewed for ourselves a 
kind of tent, or rather a sort of awning for our heads. This kept off some of the 
sun but not the heavy rains that here abounded, and was no protection against the 
cold winter as it advanced, the coldest, the rebels said, that had been known in 
that region for ten years. Our feeble screen, however was better than nothing. 

Our prison-pen was guarded by five regiments of infantry and one battery of 
artillery. The guards on the stockade were about fifteen feet apart, and all were 
intent on their duty. Every guard that shot a prisoner received a dollar and a fur- 
lough of sixty days. A second enclosure, within the stockade about ten feet from 
it, was called the dead-line ; all daring to cross it were shot by the guard. I saw 
one prisoner when he asked the guard for a chew of tobacco. The guard said: 
'Come and get it.' On his reaching his hand over the dead-line, the guard in- 
stantly shot him. 

Some of the sick prisoners, on account of their extreme thirst, would crawl 
down in the night to the ditch that ran through the pen, to get water, though it was 
very vile, and would get stuck in the mud and die, where they would be found in 
the morning. In that way a great number perished. The living prisoners would 
often have a strife over the dead bodies to determine who should carry them up to 
the gate, and for so doing have the opportunity of passing out with them and then 
obtaining a little fire-wood for cooking the raw rations. 

We were confined in this awful pen at Andersonville about three months. The 
deaths averaged about one hundred per day. The wretchedness of the prisoners, 
and the barbarities suffered, can never be fully told. Better treatment should be 
bestowed on brutes. 

Finally the movements of Gen. W. T. Sherman occasioned alarm among the 
rebels respecting the security of Andersonville. It was thought necessary to 
transfer the prisoners to some other locality. It was my fortune to be among the 
first to be removed. Two or three thousand of us were crowded on the cars — 
freight cars — seventy in a car, without room to lie or sit. We were sent towards 
Charleston, S. C, only stopping once a day to get out to prepare our rations." 



1864.] 



THIRD R. I. H. ARTILLERY. 



273 



Here, as our comrade is leaving Andersonville, we take the liberty of 
interpolating with his record, a summary view of the horrid place of which 
he has been speaking. Since so many thousands perished there, the facts 
in regard to the place should be preserved. 

The Andersonville Prison-pen — the unutterable abomination planned 
by the Confederates — was located by Capt. W. S. Winder of the rebel 
army, at the suggestion of Howell Cobb, in 1863, and occupied for its bar- 
baric purpose in February, 1864. It was about sixty miles south of Macon, 
and nine miles north of Americus, near the railroad connecting those points ; 
about one thousand six hundred feet east of the road. It originally embraced 
about twenty-two acres, in the form of an oblong, surrounded by a stockade 
of pine logs and guarded by earthworks and forts. Originally the ground 
was a forest and swamp, but every tree and shrub was felled and removed to 
transform it into a horror. Outside of the stockade was a line of palisades 
as a double protection. Infantry and artillery, with blood-hounds, acted as 
guards. The enclosure, running north and south, measured at first 1,010 
by 779 feet, lengthened finally to 1,620 feet. Across it, near the middle, 
from west to east, ran a brook through a boggy swamp, impregnated with 
every vileness. The shade temperature of this hell sometimes rose to 105 
degrees Fahrenheit, and the sun temperature sometimes reached above 120 
degrees in the summer. In constructing this atrocious affair, Winder 
said, " I will make a pen here for the d— — d Yankees where they will rot 
faster than they can be sent." 

Of Winder, and Henry Wirz, " Superintendent of the Confederate 
States Military Prison, at Andersonville," and their inhumanities, a 
volume might be written. Many volumes would not contain the record of 
starvation, disease, sufferings, and deaths of our brave Union soldiers who 
entered that fearful place to die. 

We have space here to mention only a few further facts. The prison 
existed only thirteen months, when the Confederacy fell. During that 
time there were buried from the pen, 12,974 Union soldiers. In August, 
1864, it contained 32,193 prisoners, of whom, on an average, 99 died 
daily. On the 23d of August, 127 died ; total deaths in August, 3,081. 

We will now resume the record of our comrade, Mr. Luther : — 

" On our reaching Charleston, S. C, we were put into the trotting-park, where 
we remained three weeks, while the Confederate authorities were fitting up, at 
Florence, another huge bull-pen to contain us, on which hundreds of negroes were 
at work. At Florence we fared about the same as at Andersonville, knowing 
only privations and sufferings, having just food enough to keep us alive. Once, 
we were seventy-two hours — three days and nights — without a mouthful of any- 
thing to eat. When food came, I was so weak that I could not get up to go after 
it; I was obliged to crawl on my hands and knees to get it. Here at Florence 
it was sometimes very cold, and it was with the utmost difficulty that we could 
keep warm during the nights. In the morning we could see quite a number 
lying around frozen to death. Such scenes were horrid in the extreme. 
18 



f 



274 



SHOT AND SHELL. 



[August, 



During the month of January, 1865, I think it was, Charles D. Stalker, of our 
company,' who was taken prisoner before us, came to us and begged to be taken 
into our little hut. Poor fellow, he was utterly exhausted. We received him, 
and cared for him as best we could; but he soon became insane from the effects 
of cold, hunger, and disease. Despite all our efforts he shortly died. His death 
is recorded as having occurred Feb. 13, 1865. 

We can give only a few sketches of the sufferings and cruelties endured 
in these inhuman prison-pens. One morning Connelly and myself, on going down 
to the brook, found a fellow prisoner lying asleep by a large stump, and so 
thickly covered with lice that we could scarcely discern the skin and flesh of the 
victim — lice packed on top of lice trying to get a bite. Waking the poor fellow, 
we washed him all over and cut off all his hair. His head was one complete scab. 
In a few hours the lice would have killed him. 

Fortunately, I did not use tobacco ; but my chum did, and often he sorely felt 
the need of it. Sometimes he would sally out with our meal and cry, like an 
auctioneer, i A spoonful of meal for a chew of tobacco.' And it was hard to part 
with even a spoonful of meal. 

On one occasion a rebel's dog came into the enclosure, and was instantly seized 
and hastily reduced to minced meat. We ate him as you would the best beef- 
steak. It is said that hunger is the best sauce ; but one may have too much of it. 

After remaining in Florence two or three months, orders were received for two 
or three thousand of us to be removed. Here, again, I was with the fortunate 
number. The railroad station was about half a mile from the pen. I could 
hardly walk so far, on account of weakness. Packed into freight cars — seventy- 
five in a car — we were unable to lie down, or even sit down. In this way, we 
rode 700 miles, stopping once a day to get out and prepare rations. Our condition 
was too wretched and miserable to describe. Some of the men, in endeavoring to 
make their escape, were shot. We supposed we were being conveyed to some 
other horrible prison-pen, between which and death there could be but little 
choice. 

Just before reaching Richmond, Va., we met another train of prisoners, and 
learned of our destination — that we were being taken north for exchange. Hope 
and joy now broke on our dark horizon. Reaching Richmond, we passed Libby, 
and were put into Pemberton Prison, where we remained two days and nights. 
Here, from a Federal official, who had come through the lines, we received some 
clothing, enough to answer for the time. On the third day, a small steamer took 
us down to the army lines, under a flag of truce. By dint of desperate effort, we 
walked across to Acott's Landing — five miles — consuming the whole day, as we were 
frequently stuck in the Virginia mud. At the Landing we found two boats, one 
for the sick and one for the sound — if any could be said to be sound, who were 
only half alive. Connelly and myself passed for sick men, and so obtained straw 
to lie on and plenty of room on the sick-boat. Furnished with an abundance of 
good, wholesome food, and every needed attention, it was difficult to refrain from 
excessive eating ; such coffee, biscuit, and cold tongue were unknown in paradise. 

Arriving at Annapolis, Md., we were put into the hospital ; the well ones went 
into the barracks. What a contrast between this place and the southern prison- 
pens ! Now we were stripped, washed, shaved, clothed anew, and supplied with 
all needed comforts. Shortly we received furloughs of thirty days, and so visited 
our homes, taking with us two months' pay and our allowance for back rations. 
Who can tell the pleasures of home to men who had passed through such inhu- 
man imprisonment ! At the expiration of our leave, we hastened back to the 
army, and reported to our regiment ; but the war was now nearly over." 

To our comrade's narrative, we append a few corroborative facU 



1864.] 



THIRD R. I. H. ARTILLERY. 



275 



Captain Read, who escaped from Charleston, having been a prisoner 
in different parts of the Confederacy for fifteen months, reported in respect 
to the rebel prisons and the treatment our men received in them. His 
report was also confirmed by Colonel Hoyt and others. They testified 
that there were about twenty-seven thousand Union soldiers confined at 
Andersonville, Ga., in a stockade or pen embracing near thirty acres, but 
destitute of tents or shelters of any kind, save for a few of the sick. A 
part of the enclosure, moreover, was a bog or marsh, from which was 
obtained the water for washing and drinking, into which from above was 
thrown the waste and filth of the guards and of some of the prisoners. So 
scanty and poor was the food of the prisoners, that great numbers died of 
starvation. Exposure and want produced many cases of insanhry, leading 
to murder and suicide. Near a hundred deaths occurred daily. 

Colonel Hoyt lost sixty pounds of flesh in forty days. When some of 
our officers by desperate efforts succeeded in breaking from their prison 
limits they were pursued and driven to climb the trees in the woods by 
blood-hounds kept for the purpose of hunting fugitives. The barbarities 
systematically practiced by the Confederates upon our captured officers and 
men make up the most atrocious page of modern history. And yet our 
suffering, starved, dying soldiers sent a communication to President Lin- 
coln, in which, after stating their condition, they said, " If the question of 
their release hung upon the question of the exchange of colored troops, 
they were ready to die rather than have the Government give up the princi- 
ple." Here again, was the principle and spirit of martyrs. Let history 
give to these heroes their due. 

Lest the statements we have given should be regarded as exaggera- 
tion on the part of the sufferers, and the painted views of partisans, and 
also to answer whatever special pleading ma}^ hereafter be put in on the 
part of those who sympathized with the Confederacy, we may here add 
the summing up of the statements and conclusions of a large and able 
commission chosen to inquire into the privations and sufferings of our offi- 
cers and men, while in the hands of the rebel authorities. They say : — 

"It is the same story everywhere : Prisoners of war treated worse than convicts, 
shut up either in suffocating buildings, or in out-door enclosures, without even 
the shelter that is provided for the beasts of the field; unsupplied with sufficient 
food; supplied with food and water injurious and even poisonous; compelled to 
live in such personal uncleanliness as to generate vermin ; compelled to sleep on 
floors often covered with human filth, or on ground saturated with it; compelled 
to breathe an air oppressed with an intolerable stench ; hemmed in by a fatal 
dead-line, and in hourly danger of being shot by unrestrained and brutal guards; 
despondent even to madness, idiocy and suicide; sick of diseases, (so congruous 
in character as to appear and spread like the plague), caused by the torrid sun, 
by decaying food, by filth, by vermin, by malaria, and by cold; removed at the 
last moment, and by hundreds at a time, to hospitals corrupt as a sepulchre ; 
there, with few remedies, little care, and no sympathy, to die in wretchedness and 
despair, not only among strangers, but among enemies too resentful to have pity 
or to show mercy." 



CHAPTER LIII. 



RETURN OF THE THREE YEAR'S MEN. 
August — September, 1864. 

Untold the joy of duty done. 

The term of service for which the regiment enlisted was now drawing 
to a close. Three burdened years had swiftly sped. Great and impressive 
changes had occurred. Our re-enlisted men were determined to see the 
end of the struggle, which was evidently not far off. Many of the com- 
mand, however, conscious that they had done their duty, suffering from 
their long and severe service, felt more than justified in falling back from 
the front that others might win the same honors that had been bestowed 
upon them. 

But we must here pause in service to notice another of our painful 
losses. 

LIEUT. FREDERIC METCALF. 

He was the only son of Col. Edwin Metcalf, and was born in Provi- 
dence, R. I., Sept. 20, 1847. He was commissioned as Second Lieutenant 
in our regiment Sept. 21, 1863, and promoted to the rank of First Lieu- 
tenant May 6, 1864. After an illness of about two weeks, at first not 
deemed threatening, his disease assumed the unmanageable character of 
t3 T pho-malarial fever, which terminated his life, early on the morning of 
Aug. 28, 1864. He received all possible care while sick at Fort Welles, 
on Hilton Head, and then in the Officer's Hospital at Beaufort, under the 
special charge, at the time, of our superior Surgeon, George S. Burton. 
His funeral at Beaufort was numerously and tearfully attended, alike for 
his own and his father's sake. Colonel Bray ton and the officers of the 
regiment rendered all the services in their power, and all that kin and friends 
could have requested. The boc[y, enclosed in a superior metallic coffin, and 
suitably draped, in charge of an unusually large escort of artillery, was 
laid with full and impressive military honors in the army cemetery, in the 
suburbs of Beaufort, from whence it was afterwards taken and carried to 
Rhode Island to be laid with the Metcalf family. 

His death was the more deeply mourned in that he was so young, tal- 



1864.] 



THIRD R. I. H. ARTILLERY. 



277 



ented, patriotic, generous and brave. He had not completed the nineteenth 
year of his age, and he stood zealously, manfully, and ably as an officer 
among his country's defenders. He was known only to be loved and 
respected. Though he had served scarcely a year in the army, he had 
shown unusual abilities, earned his promotion, and endeared himself to all 
with whom he was associated. His native city — Providence — and his 
native State, as well as his sorrowing kindred and friends, ma}' justly cher- 
ish the pure record of his young, devoted, heroic and noble life. 

Here we may gratefully remember the_ services of our diligent, quiet, 
faithful Assistant Surgeons. Dr. Job Keiryon served us from the origin of 
the command, to January, 1863 ; Dr. Joseph W. Grosvenor, from July, 
1862, to the expiration of our services, in 1865 ; Dr. Horace S. Lamson, 
from March, 1863, to August, 1864. These were stationed at Hilton Head, 
Fort Pulaski, and Morris Island. 

Sept. 8. On hearing of the capture of Atlanta, our troops were jubi- 
lant, and we fired a shotted salute. Navy and army rejoiced together over 
the capture of Fort Morgan and Mobile Bay, that occurred Aug. 23d. To 
celebrate on the front, b} T special order, we passed over to the Charleston- 
ians our solid metallic cards, intimating that some day we intended to make 
them a call. 

For the interest of artillery students, we will here copy the report of 
firing from Fort Strong, for Sept. 10, 1864. This will, at least, give a 
general idea of our work. Other forts would furnish similar daily state- 
ments : — 



Size of gun. 



4 200- 
4 !200- 
8 100- 

11 180- 

12 100- 

13 100- 

14 100- 
14 100- 

14 100- 

15 100- 
15 100- 



pounder. 
pounder, 
pounder, 
pounder, 
pounder, 
pounder, 
pounder, 
pounder, 
pounder, 
pounder, 
pounder. 



Object. 



Sumter 

Moultrie 

Sumter 

Sumter 

Sumter 

Sumter 

Sumter 

Sim kins 

Camp near Simkins. . . 

Sumter 

Simkins 



2800 
3700 



2800 
2800 
2800 
2900 
3800 
2800. 
2900 



9.10 
9.45 
9.40 
9.55 
6.40 
6.40 
7.35 
11 
6.30 
6.30 



10 



8.55 
9.30 



9.30 



3% 
5 
5 
5 

2-3y 2 

5 
5 

3% 
8% 



II 

o a 



210 

74 
297 
285 
285 
285 
267 

75 

60 

202% 

4oy 2 



10 
1 3 
522 

19 
119 

19 

18 
5 
4 

21 



Whole number of shots, 135. 

Between Forts Strong and Chatfield, on Morris Island, were now con- 
fined 557 rebel officers, in retaliation for exposing our captured officers, in 
Charleston. The prison-yard was 304 feet long, 228 feet wide, built of 
palisades — pine posts, eight inches in diameter, close together, four feet 
in the ground, and ten feet above ground. The dead-rope was twenty feet 
from the sides, leaving the interior space 264 feet long and 188 feet wide, 
giving ninety square feet to a prisoner. The quarters were common A tents, 



278 



SHOT AND SHELL. 



[September, 



each holding four men, and furnished with straw. The rations were " salt 
horse," hard-tack, and water — but enough of each. They were guarded 
by the Fifty-fourth Massachusetts (colored) . After placing these officers 
here, and giving due notice of all we had done, the rebels nearly suspended 
their cannonading of Cummings' Point, till a new role on both sides was 
instituted. 

Sept. 13. The Chaplain, having learned that some of his fellow officers 
with whom he had served in Virginia — Capt. E. E. Chase, Lieut. J. M. 
Fales, and Lieut. C. G-. A. Peterson, of the First Rhode Island Cavalry — 
were prisoners in Charleston, under the fire of 'our guns, and poorly sup- 
plied with subsistence, hastened to send them what comforts he could by 
the commissioner for the exchange of prisoners. His donation consisted 
of : One box hard bread ; 3 woolen shirts ; 3 pairs drawers ; 3 pairs socks ; 

1 Bible ; 1 Testament ; castile soap ; frying-pan ; coffee-pot ; tin kettle ; 

2 cups ; 2 papers coffee ; canteen ; 2 tin plates ; pepper ; tobacco ; collars ; 
note paper ; envelopes ; religious papers ; all worth say $20. The rebel 
commissioner at first refused to receive the luxuries in the invoice, but, 
on being told by the Chaplain that his refusal should be put in print for 
the study of the civilized world, reluctantly consented to forward them. 
A letter to Captain Chase accompanied the gifts. 

Strongly marked was the contrast between the treatment of our soldiers 
bj T the Confederates, and the treatment of the Confederates at our hands. 
We alwaj^s treated our prisoners kindly, furnishing them with the same 
food, clothiug and shelter that we afforded to our own men. No instance 
of cruelty or indignity was known within our lines. But the rebels often, 
and even systematically, insulted, robbed and starved our men. Belle 
Isle, Salisbury, and Andersonville will be the deep, dark, eternal disgrace 
of the Confederates. If in a few things we seemed to be severe, what we 
did was made neccessary in retaliation for the inhumanities of our enemies, 
and to prevent future barbarities. 

Two Confederate soldiers enlisted in our regiment. One of them, while 
a member of his Louisiana regiment, received a severe sabre wound in his 
face. 

Sept. 16. While Company B, in Fort Welles, at Hilton Head, was en- 
gaged near noon in firing a grand salute of a hundred guns, a premature 
discharge of a piece from fire retained after sponging, under a scale in the 
chamber of the piece, resulted in killing Lawrence Farrel, and blowing off 
the left arm of Edwin G-oslin. The old gun was one of the pieces captured 
with the fort. 

Sept. 26. Such of the officers and men of seven companies as were 
about to be mustered out of the service, from the expiration of their term, 
took the steamer Fulton at Hilton Head, for New York ; reached New 
York Sept. 29th, and took steamer Electra for Providence, R. I. ; reached 
Providence on the morning of Sept. 30th, and were received with a salute 



1864.] 



THIRD R. I. H. ARTILLERY. 



279 



from the Marine Artillery, and were escorted by them to the Marine Artil- 
lery Armory, where we were welcomed by the Lieutenant-Governor, and 
furnished with a good breakfast. We were then marched to Exchange 
Place and dismissed till Oct. 4th, at which date we again assembled to 
take final discharges. The city and State that had cheered these men at 
their out-going, more than three years since, now, with full heart, pro- 
nounced plaudits upon them and the great work they had so nobly done. 

On our home voyage, when coming up to the latitude of Wilmington, 
soon after daylight, Sept. 27th, we sighted a blockade-runner far awa}* on 
our larboard bow. Captain Fulton instantly turned the prow of the 
steamer towards the illicit keel, that immediately began to run from us, up 
the coast. We put on steam. So did our game. Speed increased with both 
steamers. We gained on the guilt}- craft. She began to throw her cargo over- 
bo'ard. We quickened our speed. The Englishman burned tar and threw out 
more cargo. We gained on our game. Intense excitement was now the order 
of the day. We manned our bow gun, a thirty-pounder Parrott, and giving it 
extra elevation by blocks, threw a round shot over the English bow, and up 
went our cheers . But the terrified Englishman poured the tar into his furnaces, 
that poured out their black volume of smoke, and again disgorged his 
cargo, and sped like a porpoise, up the coast. We were making about 
fifteen and a half knots, but it was hardly sufficient. Bets were vainly 
made on our success. Anon we gained ; anon we lost. The chase con- 
tinued from early in the forenoon till four in the afternoon, when we found 
the Fulton, drawing more than twenty feet of water, was getting too near 
the coast. About this time, the United States gun-boat Gettysburg 
appeared on the horizon, over our bow, and, detecting the flying blockade- 
runner, gave chase, whereupon we gave over the pursuit, and, not without 
disappointment, turned on our homeward way. We had hoped for a little 
prize money, as well as to strike another blow against the Confederac}' and 
its foreign sympathizers. 

We cannot refrain from giving a brief statement relative to Colonel 
Brayton. At the opening of the Rebellion, he was a student at Brown 
University. Leaving the classic halls for the embattled field, he enlisted 
in our regiment, and received a commission as First Lieutenant Aug. 27, 
1861. He rose to his captaincy Nov. 28, 1862. He was next commis- 
sioned as Lieutenant-Colonel Oct. 22, 1863. With this rank, he was also 
Assistant Chief of Artillery, on Morris Island, and finally became the 
Chief. He was promoted to be Colonel of the regiment March 22, 1864, 
and was soon after Chief of Artiller}' of the Deparment of the South. 
All these positions he filled with ability, efficiency, and honor. The rapid- 
ity of his promotions was the indication of his talents. After his term of 
service, the Government appointed him postmaster at Hilton Head. 



CHAPTER LIV. 



VETERAN GUNNING. 
September — November, 1864. 

Intrepid spirits eye the goal. 

Though many officers and men, who had worthily served the time for 
which they volunteered, had now returned to their homes, bearing the hon- 
ored scars and thrilling memories of their three years of battles, the regi- 
ment was still proudly and bravely represented on the front by officers and 
men who were worthy to be styled veterans. 

In October, Company A (Captain Hamner), was at Beaufort; Corn- 
pan}' B (Captain Colwell) , on Morris Island ; Company C (Captain James), 
in Virginia ; Company L (Captain Lanahan) , and Company M (Captain 
Barker) , on Morris Island. ■ All veterans of our regiment were consoli- 
dated with these companies. 

The following official paper has its tender memories : — 

Head-quarters, Department of the South, ) 
Hilton Head, S. C, Sept. 26, 1864. ) 

General Orders, No. 139: — 

In honor of some of the brave officers who have served in this Department, the 
most of whom having lost their lives in the present Rebellion, the new works 
lately erected will hereafter be known by the following names: — 

The work within the intrenchments, at Hilton Head, will be known as "Fort 
Sherman," after Brig.-Gen. Thos. W. Sherman, United States Volunteers, for- 
merly commanding this Department. 

The work at Mitchelville will be known as "Fort Howell," after Brig.-Gen. 
Joshua B. Howell, formerly Colonel of the Eighty-fifth Pennsylvania Volunteers, 
killed at Petersburg, Ya., Sept. 14, 1864. 

The work at Beaufort, S. C, will be known as " Fort Stevens," after Brig, -Gen. 
I. I. Stevens, United States Volunteers, killed at the battle of Chantilly, Va,, 
Sept. 1, 1862. 

The work at Spanish Wells will be known as "Battery Holbrook," after First 
Lieutenant Henry Holbrook, Third Rhode Island Volunteer Artillery, killed on 
Morris Island, S. C, Aug. 21, 1863. 

By command of Maj.-Gen. J. G. FOSTER. 

W. L. M. Burger, 
Assistant Adjutant-General. 

Official : 



1864.] 



THIRD R. I. H. ARTILLERY. 



281 



Col. William Ames succeeded to the command of the regiment and to 
the position of Chief of Artillery in the Department, Sept. 27th, and was 
an officer of marked ability, as his military record will testify. Though 
very young when the war opened, he left his home of culture and affluence 
for the tented field, accepting a commission as Second Lieutenant in the 
Second Rhode Island Volunteers, June 6, 1861 ; but rose to be First Lieu- 
tenant, Oct. 25, 1861, and to be Captain, July 24, 1862. From the Second 
Ehode Island he was promoted to be Major in our command, Jan. 28, 1863. 
Amongst us he became Lieutenant-Colonel, March 22, 1864, and finally 
Colonel, Oct. 10, 1864. Meanwhile, he was for a time Post Commander of 
Fort Pulaski, and First Assistant Chief, and then Chief of Artillery on 
Morris Island and in the department. 

Sept. 29. For this day we give a record of our firing on Charleston 
with our 200-pounder Parrott in Fort Putnam ; using at each discharge 
thirteen pounds of powder in the cartridge, and five pounds in the shell ; 
firing ninety-one rounds we used 1,911 pounds of powder, making eight}'- 
seven good shots, losing three by premature discharge, and one by trip- 
ping. This, for one gun, we called a good day's work ; we never heard 
exactly how the Charlestonians looked upon it. Doubtless they were 
satisfied with the weight and fervency of our peculiar sentiments. 

Sept. 30. Dennis Malone and John McCool (Company B), were killed 
at Fort Putnam, Morris Island, by premature discharge of gun. 

Not a Jittle interest in the conduct of affairs in the Department of the 
South attached to the signal stations and lines of telegraph. From the 
signal station within the intrenchments at Hilton Head, we sent our mes- 
sages eight and one-half miles to Jenkins' plantation, on St. Helena, thence 
six and a half miles to another station on St. Helena ; thence eight and a 
half miles to Otter Island ; thence five miles to Bay Point Island ; thence 
nine and a half miles to Botany Bay ; thence fourteen miles to south end 
of Folly Island ; thence three and a half miles to head-quarters on Folly 
Island. From head-quarters to the front on Morris Island ran telegraph 
wires. Wires and cable ran from Hilton Head to Fort Pulaski. So for 
seventy miles we flashed orders and reports through air and water. We also 
remember the lofty timber and pole-formed lookout on the north end of 
Folly Island. We judge it was about a hundred and twenty feet high, 
and it commanded a fine view of coast and islands. 

Imagine our life on Morris Island ; perpetually under fire or liable to be 
so ; no quarters in the forts and batteries, as they were worked b} r reliefs ; 
the reliefs passed to and fro under the direct fire of the rebels ; our camps 
about two miles back among the sand-hummocks, and exposed to the 
shot and shell of Sullivan's and James Islands, and made unpleasant by 
the drifting sand — like fine snow — and infested by the insects abounding 
in the marshes. To endure this, month after month, required the rare vir- 
tue of stoicism born of lofty principle and unblenching bravery. But few 



282 



SHOT AND SHELL. 



[November, 



instances are found in the annals of sieges, in the world's history, where 
troops were called to meet equal toil, exposure and discomforts. And 
never, we venture to assert, were hardships and perils endured with equal 
-cheerfulness and zeal. Indeed our men seemed sustained and animated by 
an unconscious inspiration. 

We naturally thought much of the peculiar privations and dangers of 
our brother patriots of the navy, who, day and night, through the long 
months of the siege, co-operated with us ; " cribbed and confined" in their 
monitors and iron-clads, lying low as the surface of the sea — often lower — 
rolled by the billows and the tides ; beaten by the storms and the gales ; 
by day pounding the sea fronts of the foe with their huge guns and receiv- 
ing prodigious blows in return ; by night out in their boats picketing the 
harbor and the adjacent bayous ; constantly exposed to sunken or floating 
torpedoes. Did ever a fleet endure so much, and for so long a time ? Did 
ever truer, braver men tread the decks of war-ships, and handle their 
guns more heroically ? And their ardor and buoyancy of spirits equalled 
that of their brothers in the batteries and trenches. 

Nov. 10. John McKenna (Company M,) died at Andersonville, Ga. 

We may here give an official paper : — 

Head-quarters, Department of the South, ) 
Assistant Adjutant-General's Office, r 
Hilton Head, S. C, Nov. 11, 1861. J 
Lieut-Col. William Ames, .Third Rhode Island Heavy Artillery, Chief of Artil- 
lery, Department of the South, Morris Island, S. C. : — 

Colonel : The Major-General Commanding directs me to convey to you hie 
thanks for the very full and complete report received from you through Brig. -Gen. 
E. E. Potter, of the firing from the forts and batteries on Morris Island. 

Copies of your report will be sent to the Chief Engineer and to the Chief of 
Ordnance at Washington, and also to Mr. Parrott, of the West Point Foundry. 
Very respectfully, your obedient servant, 

W. L. M. BURGER, 

Assistant Adjutant-General. 

Nov. 14. Chaplain Hudson (New York Engineers) , and friends from 
Beaufort, visited the front, and asked the privilege of pulling the lanyard 
of one of the guns firing on Charleston. Of course such favors were granted. 
Naturally enough some of the ladies dodged a little as they let loose the 
thunder. When all had fired, Captain Barker said to Lieutenant Burroughs, 
"I've never fired myself ; I think I'll try it, that I may say as much as our 
visitors." Said the Lieutenant, "I'm afraid you will burst the gun." 
' ' We '11 risk that," answered the Captain. The gun was loaded. The Cap- 
tain pulled, and, strangely enough, the gun flew inpieees, and also tore into 
splinters the gun-carriage, but fortunately inflicted no injury upon him or 
the bystanders. 

We must give another incident of expert gunning. General Foster 
came into Fort Putnam on an inspecting tour, and, while there, said to 



1864.] 



THIRD R. I. H. ARTILLERY. 



283 



Sergt. George E. Hazen (Company M) : u How near can you put a shot 
to St. Michael's church ? I should like to see you make a trial." The 
sergeant said he thought he could come somewhere near it, and loaded, 
trained, and fired his piece. Happily enough the shot went direct to its 
target, and struck the face of the town clock, cutting out the figure six. 
We therefore voted six for our gunner. We ought to add that this 
might not be done every time, and that all our gunners were superior in 
their work. 

Nov. 15. Still fell the heavy strokes in front of Charleston. Generals 
Foster, Potter, and others, with visiting ladies, in two large ambulances, 
rode up to Strong and Putnam. As they neared the latter fort, the rebels, 
with ten-inch columbiads, opened from Moultrie, and one shot passed 
under one of the ambulances. The tour of inspection was thus hastened 
and shortened. General Foster, in an irate mood, halted at Fort Strong 
and ordered Captain Barker to open all his heavy guns bearing on 
Moultrie, and send the ungallant rebels his warm compliments. The 
order was obeyed to the General's satisfaction, for the gunners made 
splendid shots, cutting away the Confederate flag, and killing and wound- 
ing, as we afterwards learned, a number of the enemy ; yet we burst two 
guns in the firing. Said the General: "That is the best firing I ever 
saw in my life." 



CHAPTER LV. 



BATTLES OF HONEY HILL AND DEVEAUX. NECK. 

November — December, 1864. 



True courage braves the crimson front. 
Near the middle of November, Major-General Foster received instruc- 
tions from General Halleck to concentrate all his available force and make 
a demonstration toward Pocotaligo, breaking, if possible, the railroad con- 
nection between Charleston and Savannah, to favor the grand march of 
Gen. W. T. Sherman through Georgia to the sea. It was thought General 
Sherman would reach Savannah near the first of December. Our effective 
force for the required movement was small — only about five thousand 
men — as we had previously, in obedience to General Grant's orders, sent 
to the armies in front of Richmond, all the troops we could spare, and 
portions of our force must be continued in our forts and posts, acting on 
the defensive. 

The following paper will explain the strength of the expedition : — 

Head-quarters, Coast Division, on Transports, ) 
Port Royal Harbor, S. C, Nov. 28, 1864. f 

General Orders, 2To. 1 : — 

I. The undersigDed announces to the troops, that he has been assigned by the 
Major-General Commanding the Department, to the command of this division, 
after it shall have landed. The command will be Brigaded as follows: — 

1st. ARTILLERY BRIGADE, Lieut.-Col. William Ames, Third Rhode Island 
Artillery, Commanding, will consist of: — 

Mersereau's Battery, Third New York Artillery. 
Hamner's Battery, Third Rhode Island Artillery. 
Titus' (Day's) Battery, Third New York Artillery. 
2d. NAVAL BRIGADE, Commander George H. Preble, United States Navy, 
Commanding, will consist of the Marine Artillery, and Battalion of United States 
Marines. 

3d. FIRST BRIGADE, Brig.-Gen. E. E. Potter Commanding, will consist of 
Fifty-sixth New York Volunteers, One Hundred and Twenty-seventh New York 
Volunteers, One Hundred and Forty-fourth New York Volunteers, One Hundred 
and Fifty-seventh New York Volunteers, Twenty-fifth Ohio Volunteers, Thirty- 
second United States Colored Troops, Thirty-fourth United States Colored Troops, 
and Thirty-fifth United States Colored Troops. 



1864.] 



THIRD R. I. H. ARTILLERY. 



285 



4th. SECOND BRIGADE, Col. Alfred S. Hartwell, Fify-fifth Massachusetts 
Volunteers, Commanding, will consist of Fifty-fourth Massachusetts Volunteers, 
Fifty-fifth Massachusetts Volunteers, Twenty-sixth United States Colored Troops, 
and One Hundred and Second United States Colored Troops. 

5th. CAVALRY, Capt. Geo. P. Hurlburt, Fourth Massachusetts Cavalry, 
Commanding, to consist of Fourth Massachusetts Cavalry. 

II. The following Officers are announced on the Staff of the Brigadier-Gen- 
eral Commanding: — 

Lieut.-Col. W. T. Bennett, One Hundred and Second United States Colored 
Troops, Chief of Staff; First Lieut. L. B. Perry, Fifty-fifth Massachusetts Vol- 
unteers, Acting Assistant Adjutant-General; Capt. W. W. Sampson, Thirty-third 
United States Colored Troops, Assistant Adjutant Inspector-General; Lieut.-Col, 
H. C. Ransom, United States Army, Chief Quartermaster; Surg. Geo. S. Burton. 
Third Rhode Island Artillery, Chief Medical Officer; Capt. R. H. L. Jewett, Fifty- 
fourth Massachusetts Volunteers, Ordnance Officer; Second Lieut. C. B. Fer- 
now, Third United States Colored Troops, Topographical Engineer; Lieut.-Col. 
J. F. Hall, First New York Engineers, Provost Marshal and Aid-De-Camp; Capt. 
T. L. Appleton, Fifty-fourth Massachusetts Volunteers, Assistant Provost Mar- 
shal and Aid-De-Camp; First Lieut. T. C. Vidal, Chief Signal Officer; First Lieut. 
Edgar B. Van Winkle, One Hundred and Third New York Volunteers, Aid-De- 
Camp; First Lieut. D. Geo. MacMartin, Twenty -first United States Colored 
Troops, Aid-De-Camp. 

III. All Officers of the Expedition are enjoined to prevent straggling and ma- 
rauding; discipline will be enforced, and plunderiog prevented, if necessary, by the 
infliction of the extreme penalty, " Death." 

The Provost Marshal and Assistants, are charged with the execution of this 
clause of the order. 

JNO. P. HATCH, Brigadier-General. 

Offical : 

D. Geobge MacMartin", Lieutenant and Aid-De-Camp. 

Lieut. F. A. Wilcoxson, of our Veteran Battalion, was assigne d to 
duty as Quartermaster of the Brigade under Lieutenant-Colonel Ames. 

The expedition left Hilton Head, in gun-boats and transports, passing 
up Broad River, on the night of Nov. 29th. 

Nov. 30. We landed on Boyd's Neck, on the west bank of Broad 
River, opposite the lower end of Hall Island, thinking to reach and cut the 
railroad near Grahamville — quite a distance south of Coosahatchie and 
Pocotaligo. Mistaking the roads, our column failed to reach the point aimed 
at, on this day, and were compelled to bivouac and wait for morning. This 
gave the enemy time to prepare for defense. In the mean time, during the day, 
especially in the afternoon, the advance brigade, consisting of the Fifty- 
sixth and One Hundred and Twenty-seventh New York, Twenty-fifth 
Ohio, Thirty-fifth United States, and Company A of our regiment, under 
General Potter, met the enemy's skirmishers, supported by artillery, near 
a small church at a cross-roads, and with bullets and shell pushed them 
back. 

Dec. 1. We found the rebels, in strong force, intrenched in a good 
position at Honey Hill, in front of Grahamville. Promptly we advanced 
to battle, not knowing at first the strength of the enemy's position. Our 



286 



SHOT AND SHELL. 



[December, 



artillery was brought to the front, and handled with great energy and pre- 
cision. The engagement was obstinate, and continued till near the close 
of the day, when, haying suffered great loss without the prospect of success, 
we fell back to Boyd's Neck, on Broad River. We had sixty-six killed, 
and 645 wounded. 

The next morning, we (Company A), advanced again to hold the 
enemy in check, and near the church, where Surgeon Burton had his hos- 
pital, met the rebels, advancing upon us under cover of the dense fog, 
who opened a short artillery dispute, and then retired. 

The Federal loss in the battle of Honey Hill, and of this, the following 
day, in killed, wounded, and missing was 756. 

Dec. 2. Our troops threw up breastworks for the permanent occupancy 
of Boyd's Neck. 

Says A. C. Keach: "In the battle of Honey Hill, we had some poor 
ammunition, and the Chief of Artillery had it condemned. But the next 
morning the rebels came down in the fog and opened on us. We promptly 
met them and soon silenced their fire, using of necessity the condemned 
ammunition. The Chief of Artillery came up, and coolly said : ' Well, 
Captain Hamner, you are trying to get rid of your poor ammunition.' To 
this, the Captain, who was one of the coolest, dryest, bravest men that 
ever was, promptly answered, with a tone and look altogether inimitable, 
but full of significance : 'Yes, we are trying to get rid of the ammunition, 
and trying to get rid of the rebels, too.'" Afterwards, "to get rid of the 
rebels," was a current phrase with us. 

Following the battle of Honey Hill, while Company A was making 
a reconnoissance to feel of the rebel front, they had a strange and happy 

surprise. The storj 1 - in brief is this : Private , of Company 

— , who had enlisted in the United States Artillery in 186-, and 

went with that battery into Virginia, under General Gillmore, had been 
captured, and confined in the abominable Andersonville prison-pen, where, 
to escape death by starvation and exposure to horrible sufferings, he con- 
sented to enlist in the Confederate arm} 7 , in the hope of finalry making his 
way into our lines. He was now on the rebel front, near Honey Hill, and, 
as we pushed the enemy back, he hid in a cluster of bushes till our force 
came up, when, leaping out in the presence of our men, he jo} T ousry ex- 
claimed : "How are you, Third Rhode Island Artillery?" With an 
equal joy we again welcomed him to our ranks. 

After refitting our force, we crossed Broad River Dec. 6th, landing a 
little further up, at Deveaux's Neck, between the Coosahatchie and 
Tulitinny Rivers. 

Dec. 6. Of this day's work, sa} T s General Foster: "At Deveaux's 
Neck, near the Coosahatchie turnpike, the advance, in number much 
inferior to the opposing force, met the rebels in an open field, and drove 
them from the ground, captured one flag, forced them to seek safety in 



1864.] 



THIRD R. I. H. ARTILLERY. 



287 



flight, leaving their dead and wounded in our hands, and thus occupied a 
position from which the railroad was under the easy fire of our guns." 

Official reports stated the Union loss as thirty-nine killed, 390 wounded, 
and 200 missing ; the Confederate loss as 400 killed, wounded, and mis- 
sing. "We think these reports embrace the actions that continued till Dec. 
9th. On the 6th the rebel general L. H. Gartrell was wounded. 

The guns of Compan}^ A were brought to the front, and we opened the 
ball — our first shots being the signal for the battle. On our left front the 
rebels had a well-handled battery that sharpry scarred us. Our boys named 
it "Battery Damnation." To this we opposed a superior set of guns 
styled "Battery Hell." Hot work, was done on this field. Our guns 
were kept warm through the day. 

Says General Foster, " On Dec. 9th, the skirmish line forced its way to 
within a few yards of the railroad and the forts which guarded it, remain- 
ing there under a most galling fire until an opening had been cut through 
the woods between our batteries and the road, and thus perfected the work 
so gallantly begun upon the 6th." 

Dec. 1. John Dunn (Company A) , died at Beaufort. 

While our batteries and infantry were engaged, our engineers, by des- 
perate work, effected the slashing in the forest in front of us that gave us 
clear range on the railroad, to which we now turned our guns. Shell were 
soon put into the road and into the trains, and all travel was stopped. 

During the action we lost George Rico, instantly killed, his head taken 
off by the enemy's shell. The same day we killed the enemy's best gun- 
ner with one of our shots, and so impaired the efficiency of the assailing 
battery. 

Entrenching, we held our position and fully commanded the railroad. 
Finally a daring train attempted to pass. We put a shell through the 
engine and so firmly blocked the track ; and then shelled the parties at- 
tempting to reopen the road. 

We held our position till General Sherman reached the sea and cap- 
tured Savannah. Hardee, in evacuating Savannah, was unable to pass 
troops or munitions of war on this vital thoroughfare, and on his leaving 
the city we gave the rebels in our front a shotted salute. 

Shortly a portion of Sherman's force came, by the way of Beaufort, to- 
our support, when we advanced to Pocotaligo, a point Sherman now 
selected as one of the starting points for his new operations. And when, 
in February following, he opened his sweeping campaign in South Carolina, a 
portion of Company A was included in General Hatch's division, that moved, 
virtually, as Sherman's right wing, from Pocotaligo directly towards 
Charleston. This force, after unimportant alarms and some sharp skir- 
mishes on its flanks, crossing swollen rivers, and detestable marshes, and 
dense rice swamps, reached Edisto river just as Charleston was evacuated. 

Of the march of Captain Hamner's compan}*- (A) from Coosahatchie 
to Charleston, Andrew O. Keach gives the following notes : — 



288 



SHOT AND SHELL. 



[December. 



" We were frequently held in check by the enemy. At Salkehatchie 
River we were checked two or three days. The rebels had destroyed the 
bridge, and thrown up an earthwork to prevent us from crossing. We 
planted our pieces on the road behind an extemporized embankment. Here 
the bullets flew so lively that we had but little comfort handling our 
guns." If a man showed his head he would be saluted by a minie ball. 
Sergt. C. D. Holmes finally held a newspaper over the breastworks, and it 
was answered by the enemy, at which firing ceased, when Holmes and 
Corp. Charles Donahue mounted the parapet. Two rebels did the same on 
their works. At this Holmes and Donahue walked up to the lines where 
the two rebels promptly met them and held a friendly chat ; they belonged 
to Cobb's Georgia Legion. The officers on both sides agreed to cease 
firing, and both sides kept the pledge. The rebels were quite gentlemanly, 
but that night their force fell back and left us to push forward. 

" On our march to Charleston it rained about ever}' day, and between 
the rain and the mud we had anything but an agreeable time. All the 
clothes in my knapsack had to be thrown away on account of mould ; and 
others had to do the same ; so when we arrived in Charleston we were 
anything but well off for dress. On our march we crossed nine rivers, the 
Coosahatchie, Tulitinny, Pocataligo, Salkehatchie, Combahee, Ashepo, 
Edisto, Stono, and Ashley. After one day of rest we were off for Santee 
River. 

u In the vicinity of Combahee River, the negroes were wild with de- 
light, clapping their hands and dancing all sorts of antics. One old woman 
wanted very much to see General Sherman, and, when one of our boys 
attempted to personate the General, and so please the old slave, she 
quickly replied, pointing to his beardless face : ' You ain't de General ; 
your face is too smooth'. Combahee is the great rice district of South 
Carolina." 



CHAPTER LVI. 



BREAKING THE REBEL FRONT. 
December, 1864 — February, 1865. 

Defeat awaits defiant wrong. 

Under the heavy and continuous blows of the Federal Army and Navy, 
in the interior and on the coast, the giant Rebellion was writhing in agony 
and despair.. The Confederates had exhausted their resources, and were 
fighting only under the vain stimulus of desperation. Foreign powers had 
almost ceased to sj'mpathize with them, and utterly refused to send them 
support. Their resistance was all on the surface, for their heart was 
rapidly failing. It required but a few more blows upon the shell of their 
defenses to expose the utter hollowness and weakness of their Confederacy. 

Dec. 4. Under a flag of truce occurred the exchange of an unusually 
large number of prisoners of war in Charleston harbor. On account of 
the number and condition of the Federals — - many of them being veiy sick, 
all very weak, and some dead even on the cartel — the ceremonies extended 
into the next day. The scenes here witnessed were very touching and 
painful. What an emaciated, filthy, ragged, diseased, dying company. 
All were washed, clothed and fed, on reaching our cartel-ship. But many 
died on the rebel boat coming down the harbor, others on the hospital 
steamer before leaving the harbor. All these were brought ashore, and tend- 
erly and tearfully buried in the soldiers' cemetery on Morris Island. 

Gen. R. Saxton, who was for a short time in command of the Northern 
District, directed in the due formalities of the exchange of prisoners, among 
whom was his own brother. When the exchange had closed, and the flag of 
truce had been withdrawn, he ordered our officers to fire a salute from Forts 
Putnam and Chatfield, of 100 shotted guns — giving the shots to Charles- 
ton. This was closing the affair with spirit. When, however, the General 
attempted to magnify his office by trying to revive old-time artillery manoeu- 
vres and tactics, he discovered that he had brought his coals to Newcastle. 
Our boys instructed him in curves and forces that he never knew. 

Civilized war recognizes rules of honor, and must observe them. The 
rebels could not afford to ignore this code. The truce that had been 
granted for the exchange of prisoners, in Charleston harbor, was extended 
19 



290 



SHOT AND SHELL. 



[December, 



bej^ond the time originally contemplated, and a rebel officer, ignorant of the 
extension of the time, opened fire on our men in Fort Putnam. To repair 
this breach of honor, he sent the following letter : — 

Fort Sumter, S. C, Dec. 5, 1864. 
To the Officer Commanding United States Forces, on Morris Island : — 

Sir : Having just been informed by the proper authorities of the continuance 
of the truce which commenced yesterday, I beg leave to offer an apology for hav- 
ing fired upon the batteries at the northern end of Morris Island, this morning, 
with sharp-shooters. 

I have the honor to be, very respectfully, 

Your obedient servant 

T. A. HUGTJENTN, 

Captain Commanding. 

As this was received by Lieut. C. H. Williams, he preserved a copy 
of it. 

While Lieutenant Williams was in command of Fort Putnam, he one 
morning received from Captain Colwell, then Acting Chief of Artillery, a 
written order not to open fire without direction from him, but, by inadvert- 
ance, the order had no signature. By daylight next morning, the Lieuten- 
ant heard an ominous noise up the harbor, and, on mounting the bomb- 
proof and peering through the lifting fog, detected the smoke-stack of a 
rebel steamer. He instantly ordered his men to train their pieces, and 
open on the craft. His shot quickly went to their target, and heavenward 
poured the black column of smoke from the frightened and wounded 
steamer, and she made her final halt in the harbor. Just as she succumbed, 
Captain Barker, from Fort Strong, opened his guns on her, firing over the 
heads of our men in Putnam. 

It would be wrong to write of the capture of Morris Island, with its im- 
mense earthworks, and the demolition of Fort Sumter, without making 
most honorable mention of the valorous and constant co-operation of the 
navy with the army. 

The Boys in Blue on sea and land, 
Were one in heart and one in hand, 

in dealing the suited strokes of outraged justice upon the birth-place of the 
mad Rebellion. Gillmore and Dahlgren were brothers in the battle. The 
Ironsides and monitors on the waves, and the thundering batteries in the 
parallels and marshes on the island, were one in aim, and one in voice, and 
one in honor. Eagles and stars, anchors and bars, glowed together in the 
long loyal fight. Indeed, the scars of both navy and army are their rec- 
ord and insignia of valiant service. Nor should we forget to mention that 
while daily the war-ships came up the harbor under the rebel forts and 
joined us in the fiery work of bombardment, they once landed rifled guns 
and seamen, under Captain Parker, and fitted and worked their battery by 
our side in smiting Sumter, and once from their brave decks sent at night 
an assaulting party against the fort. Often the fleet and army supplied 



1864] 



THIRD R. I. H. ARTILLERY. 



291 



each other with necessary ammunition. Thus the fifteen-inch shells from 
the navy and 300-pound shots from the army, sang their harmonious chorus 
in the siege. 

And many are the pleasant recollections of exchanged hospitalities be- 
tween the officers of the two great arms of the service ; they visited our ex- 
posed tents on the island ; we visited their gallant decks inside the billow- 
beaten bar. All were alike ambitious to serve our country. 

But the Federal Navy on the ocean had some victories all their own 
that evoked the cheers of the nation. Gapt. John A. Winslow, of the 
Kearsarge, off the port of Cherbourg, France, on the 19th of June, sent 




PONTOON BRIDGE AT JONES' FERRY. 



the English-built rebel ranger Alabama, to Davy Jones' locker, while Cap- 
tain Semmes escaped amongst his English friends. Commodore Craven, 
of the Niagara, off Portugal, on the 15th of August captured the Confed- 
erate pirate Georgia. Commodore Collins, of the Wachusett, in the har- 
bor of Brazil, on the 7th of October seized the infamous Florida. In Au- 
gust, Admiral Farragut, lashed in the main-top of his flag-ship, the Hart- 
ford, led his fleet past Forts Gaines and Morgan into Mobile harbor, and 
captured the ram Tennessee, while General Granger successfully assaulted 
the forts. 

About the middle of November, General Sherman, with 60,000 infantr} 7 
and 5,500 cavalry, cut loose from his base, and started from Atlanta, 
through the heart of Georgia, on his famous march to the sea. He mowed 
a magnificent swath. Vainly did Beauregard entreat the Georgians to 
rise and meet him. The Union host swept triumphantly on, and 10,000 



292 



8H0T AND SHELL. 



[J anuary , 



negroes joined the army of freedom. Fort McAllister was carried by 
assault on the 13th of December, and communication was opened with 
the Federal fleet on the coast. Then the army and the navy sent up a 
grand shout that terrified Savannah and Hardee, who, after destroying all 
the Confederate property and the rebel rams, fled towards Charleston, 
leaving Sherman and his army to enter Savannah unresisted, as they did 
Dec. 21st. 

When Fort McAllister and Savannah fell, the guns of Fort Pulaski sent 
up our salutations to General Sherman and his invincible army from the 
West. Between the patriot forces on the coast and the patriot army 
from the mountains, the rebels now found themselves between the upper 
and nether millstones of war ; and the grinding made them loudly groan. 
The boasted lines of the Confederacy were irrecoverably broken. Our 
captive soldiers in Anderson ville, Millen, Richland, Columbia, Salisbury, 
Florence, and Charleston shouted in their prisons. The nation gratefully 
chanted its Te JDeum. Meanwhile, Grant was tightening his death-grasp 
upon Richmond, and our swelling forces were preparing to strike, with 
conclusive blows, the strong points of the Carolinas. 

Dec. 15. General Foster sent General Sherman 600,000 rations, ten 
days' forage for 40,000 animals, six twenty-pounder and six thirty-pounder 
Parrotts, and 3,600 rounds of ammunition. 

Fort Fisher, the stronghold at the mouth of Cape Fear River, guarding 
the entrance to Wilmington, attacked by General Terry and Admiral 
Porter, was carried by assault Jan. 13th. The next day Fort Caswell, and 
other defenses of the river, were abandoned and blown up by the rebels. 
Thus the last harbor and hope of blockade-runners was cut off. Mean- 
while, General Sherman, after resting his forces in Savannah, and refitting, 
commenced, Feb. 1st, his broad and devastating march through South 
Carolina, on his way to Goldsboro, N. C. Terror now took hold on the 
mother of Rebellion, and she trembled from head to foot. And, while 
Sherman was advancing, sweeping a path forty miles in width, Generals 
Terry and Scholfield captured Wilmington Feb. 22d. 

Jan. 15. General Sherman's Seventeenth Corps (General Blair) com- 
ing to- our aid, as previously noticed, via Beaufort and Port Royal Ferry 
and the regular road, we reached Pocotaligo. Sherman then made it a 
base for a short time, and a starting point in his devastating march through 
South Carolina. Of course General Foster, as also Admiral Dahlgren, 
now co-operated with General Sherman. Savannah was turned over by 
General Sherman to General Foster. The command of General Hatch 
was moved to a point between Coosahatchie and Salkehatchie(Saltcatcher) , 
using Pocotaligo as a base, and, as Sherman advanced, moved out across 
the country to strike Charleston in the rear. 

When General Foster took possession of Savannah to relieve Sher- 
man's forces and hold the rebel elements in a composed state (outwardl} 7 



1865.] 



THIRD R. I. H. ARTILLERY. 



293 



at least) , he ordered some of his own troops to garrison the cit} 7 . Among 
the chosen guardians were finally included a section of Company A, under 
Lieut. E. W. Waterhouse, to use, if necessary, the arguments with 
which they were familiar. So the feet of Rhode Island trod the streets of 
Savannah, and paced the ramparts of the rebel forts, ready to cheer the 
ears of the Georgians with round salutes in honor of Federal victories. In 
due time, from this city, with two thirty-pounder Parrotts, this detachment 
pushed on to the city of Augusta. 

We give another incident of gunnery. Says Lieut. M. J. Higgins, 
u General Foster with a party visited us at Fort Strong (Wagner), and 
asked for a specimen of our workmanship on Fort Moultrie. At the third 
shot from our 200-pounder Parrott, we cut off ten feet of the top of the 
rebel flag-staff, leaving the flag hanging to the splinters below. Instantly 
six or seven rebels were busy trying to extricate and adjust their banner. 
We fired another shot that struck exactly among the group and stayed 
further proceedings ; and the flag remained as our shot left it for thirty-six 
hours. When we afterwards captured the island I inquired of a person 
living there at the time respecting the affair, and learned that our shot 
killed three persons and wounded others — one being a woman that was 
crossing the parade of Moultrie at the moment." 

He adds another incident. "One day the rebels were firing mortar 
shells at us from Moultrie. Private Killburn was in his tent, sitting on the 
edge of his bunk. A mortar shell, coming over, struck the ridge pole of 
the tent, passed down within a foot of Killburn's side into the ground and 
exploded, tearing the tent into shreds, but strangely failing to kill our 
soldier or to very seriously injure him." 

In January, Company A was at Deveaux's Neck, holding the break in 
the Charleston and Savannah Railroad ; Company C was with the Army of 
the James in Virginia ; and Companies B, L, and M were steadily bom- 
barding Charleston. 

Feb. 9. Major-General Gillmore having returned from Virginia, began 
at once to co-operate with General Sherman in his movements in South 
Carolina. This co-operation consisted in advancing a column under Brig.- 
Gen. J. P. Hatch, towards the city of Charleston, along the line of the 
Charleston and Savannah Railroad ; and also of a mixed military and naval 
force moving towards Charleston by way of Bull's Bay and what was known 
as the Christ Church line of works, in the rear of the Sullivan's Island 
defenses. This last movement under Brig.-Gen. E. E. Potter was delayed 
by unfavorable weather till the rebels were alarmed and ready to fly for 
safety. 



CHAPTER LVJI. 



SURRENDER OF CHARLESTON. 
February, 1865. 



The bright stars breaking through the clouds. 

Feb. 7. Again the winds and waves violently assailed the coast. Un- 
fortunately for us a large part of Morris Island was submerged, and Colonel 
Ames' quarters, with all the records and papers belonging to our command 
were carried out to sea, and recovered only in part — a severe loss at least to 
the historian of the regiment. This will explain why, in our narrative, 
we have presented no more official papers, orders and reports, and why the 
preparation of our history has been so laborious, and so long in being com- 
pleted with the accuracy which we determined should characterize it. 

The hour of destiny for Charleston was at hand. Her joy of secession 
had ended, and her day of mourning was hastening. Aware that Sherman 
was now grandly cutting his martial swath through the heart of South Car- 
olina, and that General Hatch and his division were advancing upon the 
flank and rear of Charleston, the enemy were in trouble ; and we were on 
joyful tip-toe. By order, we kept three days' rations cooked and ready for 
our expected advance. 

A rebel order (afterwards captured) dated "Charleston, 8th Feb., 
1865," sent "to Lieut. I. G-. K. Gourdin, Ordnance Officer, Sullivan's Is- 
land," directed him to immediately pack ammunition, primers, and equip- 
ments easily moved, and hold all "in a condition to be withdrawn at the 
earliest notice." Thus they began to look for the moment of retreat. 

Feb. 9. On account of a wound long borne, defj'ing medical treat- 
ment and demanding a surgical operation, General Foster was relieved of the 
command of the department that he might seek surgical help at the North, 
and General Gillmore again came to the head of our affairs. He came just 
in time to enjoy the realization of all his previous plans, toils, and desires. 
Among his staff officers he gladly retained Lieutenant-Colonel Ames as Chief 
of Artillery in the Department. The esteem in which our command was held 
by General Gillmore, from the siege of Fort Pulaski to the downfall of the 
forts in front of Charleston, was well known throughout the Department of 



1865.] 



THIRD R. I. H. ARTILLERY. 



295 



the South, and was not undeserved. It is no secret that important parts of 
his famous published reports of his operations on Morris Island were fur- 
nished by the officers of our regiment acting on his staff. 

Feb. 17. General Sherman entered Columbia, the capital of South Car- 
olina, and found it on fire by rebel hands ; the whole city would have been 
destroyed but for the intervention of the Federal troops. 

This stroke, with the advance of Hatch's Division, gave to the defenders 
of Charleston the choice -of dying in the " last ditch" or of evacuating the 
cradle of their principles. Hardee — now hard pressed by Yankee tactics 
— chose the latter policy, and on the evening of the 17th made his arrange- 
ments, directing the immediate withdrawal of troops and the destruction of 
magazines, arsenals, forts, gun-boats, rams, bridges, stores of rice, and thou- 
sands of bales of cotton. 

Through the telegraph operator on Morris Island, and the signal-officer 
stationed in Fort Strong, we were kept informed of events, as they passed, 
for our signal-officer, by the way, was an adept in reading the rebel 
signals. 

Feb. 17. In the afternoon our signal-officer read the rebel dispatch 
from Charleston to Sullivan's Island, saj'ing : "Burn all papers before 
you leave." We now knew that Sherman had smitten them in their rear. 
Immediately all our guns and mortars were put in best condition. Orders 
came from General Schemmelfennig to Captain Barker, in Fort Strong, to 
open all available pieces on the bridge leading from Sullivan's Island to 
Mount Pleasant — the path of the rebels' retreat. We commenced firing 
at 6 p. m., giving the bridge a shot a minute. Says Lieutenant Higgins : 
" I had charge of the firing from Fort Strong, and opened the ball with 
two 100-pounders, when the other forts came in harmoniously and grandly 
on the main strain. We had it all our own way until about 9 o'clock, 
p. m. , when a dispatch was sent from Charleston to Sullivan's Island, s&y- 

ing : ' Open every bloody sixtj^-nine on the d d Yankee sons of 

b s. ' What the ' sixty-nines ' meant we never knew. They fired a 

few spiteful shots at Strong, and did their best at plowing the front of 
Putnam. No wonder ; it was their last chance ; their ' bloody sixty- nines ' 
were soon to be ours. Shortly the chivalrous firing ceased. On our side 
we kept up to its full pitch the heavy music, bursting our shells over the 
bridge and the chop fallen ranks of the retreating foe." 

The expression of our ideas, during this night, from Fort Strong alone, 
maybe summarized: employing one 200-pounder and four 100-pounder 
Parrotts, at an elevation of about twelve degrees, with fuzes of fourteen 
seconds, using in the largest gun sixteen pounds of powder in cartridge 
and five in the shell, and in the 100-pounders ten pounds in cartridge and 
five in the shell, firing 356 rounds, we exploded 5,844 pounds of powder, 
and an amount of metal that we left for the rebels to weigh ; though, on 
account of their haste in getting out of the " last ditch," we think they 
never weighed our kindnesses correctly. 



296 



SHOT AND SHELL. 



[February, 



Feb. 18. About 1 o'clock, a. m., we discovered flames on the bridge 
across the Ashley, and in sections ot the city. We saw at least eight large 
fires. The enemy, in their madness and despair, were firing their own 
works. Between 2 and 3 o'clock, a. m., they fired the old store-ship, lying 
in the mouth of the Cooper River. Then we witnessed a most brilliant and 
exciting scene. The ship lay about five miles from us, plainly in our view, 
up the harbor. As the flames mounted the rigging, and leaped through the 
darkness aloft to the sky, the\ r threw open to our vision the whole of the 
broad harbor of Charleston, with all its grand surroundings, and the proud, 
doomed city, in the background. Each spar and rope on the blazing ves-' 
sel stood out in wild grandeur, as the flames climbed higher and higher into 
the darkness. For more than an hour we gazed on this flaming spectacle. 

Between 3 and 4 a. m., the rebels began to blow up their huge and 
boasted iron-clads. From that time to daylight, it was 

Fire in front of us, 
Fire to the right of us, 
Fire to the left of us. 

About 6 a. m. , the magazine of Battery Bee was blown up, at which 
it seemed as if the whole upper part of Sullivan's Island was lifted into the 
air. The force of the explosion sensibly shook Fort Strong and the 
whole of Morris Island. Of course we now ceased our firing. 

Peculiar were now the thoughts of our men, who had been eighteen 
months in the siege, witnessing the fire of Charleston, set b} T the hands that 
had been pledged to defend it, and even to capture the Nation's capital. 
The smoke went up like a vast cloud. Soon we began to hear heavy ex- 
plosions in the vicinity of the chief arsenal and depots of the city. These 
were followed by the blowing up of the huge rebel rams, that for nearly two 
years^had bellowed their wrath along the banks of the Ashley and Cooper, in 
our front. Here was a magnificent spectacle. From one of these rams rose a 
prodigious column of smoke, that finally opened at the top into a vast ring 
that expanded into an immense circular cloud- wave, and slowly floated 
down over Morris Island, and vanished seaward. Would that these war- 
pictures could have been caught and preserved. 

Lieut. John Hackett, in Fort Strong (old Wagner), watching the hur- 
ried movements of the enemy, and discovering what he deemed evidence 
that the garrison of Fort Moultrie were evacuating, asked permission of 
Captain Barker to take a detachment of his men in a boat and dash across 
the harbor and plant the Star-spangled Banner again on the walls of that 
fort. Captain Barker sought permission of the Commander of Morris Is- 
land, Colonel Bennett, and gave his God- speed to the plucky lieutenant. 
The navy officers in the fleet lying outside of the bar, were watching their 
time to call to quarters and send a boat to take possession of the fort : but 
to them the way seemed not 3'et clear. 

Lieutenant Hackett picked his men, Corp. H. A. Kerr, T. W. Tibbetts, 



1865.] 



THIRD R. I. H. ARTILLERY. 



297 



S. Buttom, H. R. Farrar, T. A. Scott, J. Glancy, P. Callahan, all of Com- 
pany M, manned his boat, and soon shot out from the creek by Cummings' 
Point into the harbor. Then there was some smart rowing done, and 
some straight steering. The arms of the Rhode Island bo} T s bent the ash 
and left a wake behind them. Instantly, on seeing this dash of the lieu- 
tenant and his men, the naval officers lowered boats filled with ablest sea- 
men, and ordered their men to do their best to take the wind out of the 
army boat and plant their flag in Moultrie. That was an honorable and 
heated race worthy of an artist's pencil. But the lieutenant had the wind- 
ward in distance and held it in speed, while the army on the island and 
the men in the fleet held their caps ready to cheer the winner. 

Reaching the sand of Sullivan's Island, the lieutenant leaped from his 
boat, and dashing over the front of Moultrie, finding the rebels had just 
fled, with his excited but strong hands pulled down as his trophy the en- 
sign of Rebellion and quickly run " Old Glory" up to the breeze. Was 
there any cheering then ? Guess! Loudly did the army applaud. Yes, 
and the brave men of the navy gave their applause to the lieutenant and 
his good men. And all together they gave three times three for the flag. 
Moultrie was again in the Union. This was the first flag raised on any of 
the rebel works. 

But the rebels had intended to blow up the fort when they abandoned 
it. For this end they had laid powder and fuses leading to the magazine, 
and had fired the extremhVv of the train. The train was burning when 
Lieutenant Hackett entered the works and lifted the flag, and would have 
done its destructive work but for the timely discovery of the burning fuse 
and its extinguishment by one of the naval officers who reached the fort 
immediately after the lieutenant. This bold dash was just in season to 
save Moultrie and its armament to the United States Government. 

A like plan had been adopted that resulted in the blowing up of Bat- 
tery Bee ; but the Confederate soldier, who remained to fire the train and 
see that it wrought its ruin, blundered in his work, cutting the fuse too 
short, and became the victim of the imperfect train ; for when we entered 
the fort we found him nearly dead, crushed by one of the logs of the work 
that had been thrown upon him by the premature explosion. 

General Schemmelfennig, commanding the Northern District of the 
Department, ordered forward his ready and waiting troops from James 
Island to occupy the abandoned and burning city. Obeying the order with 
gladness and alacrity, his van, by boats, reached the wharves of the city 
before the rear-guard of the rebel army had left the upper portion of the 
town. At once our troops were marching up into the city under the Stars 
and Stripes to the measure of Yankee Doodle and the most animating 
national airs. The Mayor of Charleston, Mr. Macbeth, soon made his 
appearance and reluctantly surrendered the city to the Twenty-first United 
States Colored Troops, under Lieut.-Col. A. G. Bennett. Muse of 



298 



SHOT AND SHELL. 



[February, 



History ! consider the significant fact that the mace of Charleston was laid 
at the feet of black soldiers bearing the arms of the United States. 

The second force to reach the city was from the Third Rhode Island, 
under Lieutenant-Colonel Ames, from our warm and jubilant guns on Mor- 
ris Island. 

Never was there a more demoralized city than was Charleston at this 
time. Here was social and moral chaos come again. The Confederate 
power was defunct. The Federal authority required a few days at least to 
put affairs in order. Old Massa had fled. Organization was impossible 
for the negroes. Hence for the moment anarchy and communism showed 
their wild fronts and ways. 

Immediately after Lieutenant Hackett had lifted the Stars and Stripes 
on Moultrie, Maj. I. A. Hennessey, (Fift} 7 -second Pennsylvania) , command- 
ing the boat-pickets on our front, reached the walls of Sumter and there 
exultantly lifted again the banner of the nation. In the afternoon another 
flag was raised on the walls b} T order of General Gillmore. 

Now our big guns rested calmly on their worn trunnions, and our heavy 
forts stood silent, while we trod the grass-grown and shot-plowed streets of 
subdued and burning Charleston. We looked on the smoking hulks of 
rebel rams. We entered 'deserted rebel batteries. We gazed on masses 
of burning rebel property. The whites in the city, too poor to fly, were 
speechless in their humiliation. The negroes were full of hilarious joy that 
the long-looked for day of Jubilee had come. On the wharf in front of the 
city we gazed on the fragments of the huge 600-pounder gun, exploded 
that morning, which Charleston had mounted to blow to the moon the 
forces of the Union. 

Of our entrance into the city, thus writes our comrade, Alfred B. 
Brown (Company D) : "As soon as boats could be got ready, we were on 
our way to Charleston. Nearly half-waj^ across, we passed a lighter that 
had taken over a load of infantry, and had on board, as a troplry, a rebel 
flag. Arriving at the wharf, we found scarcely a person present. Enter- 
ing the streets, we were greeted on all sides with words of welcome from 
the negroes, whose joy seemed to know no bounds. Standing in doorwaj^s, 
on sidewalks, and street corners, some were shouting: 'Glory! Glory! 
Bres de Lord ! ' some were running, dancing, clapping and waving their 
hands ; some stood amazed, with hands and eyes raised to heaven, as if in 
earnest pra} T er, or thanksgiving. One coolly said: 'De Yanks habn't got 
horns, like de debbil.' Another exclaimed : ' Come at last. You's been 
a, long time comin'. Come at last, massa.' 

"Soon after reaching the citadel, hundreds — mostly blacks ^gath- 
ered on the green in front of the building, and all endeavoring to give 
expression to their joy, cheering, shouting, laughing, doing whatever they 
could to express their pleasure at seeing the Yanks. One young colored 
woman rushed up, caught me by the arm , and whirled me about as she 



1865.] 



THIRD R. I. H. ARTILLERY. 



299 



excitedly danced, and then, letting go, said : ' Dare ! I'se said I'd dance 
wid de fus Yankee I got hold ob ; an' I hab done it. Now, let a body tell 
me do any work, to-day, an' I hit 'em in de face.' The fine buildings 
showed the strokes of our guns. 

" When we entered the city, a fire was raging, set by the rebels before 
they left. A detachment of our regiment had orders to compel the citizens 
to work the engines for putting out the fire, and the flames were subdued 
about noon. We remained in the city for some time, and were kindly 
treated. When the Fifty-fourth Massachusetts (colored) marched in, they 
sang ' John Brown' with a zest to be remembered." 

Some idea may be formed of the heavy armed works confronting us in 
our siege of Charleston, by the following summary of batteries and guns 
that fell into our hands when the enemy evacuated the city : — 

I. Sullivan's Island. Nine positions. 1. Cove Battery, 4 guns. 2. Battery 
Bee, 11 guns. 3. Battery Marion, 8 guns. 4. Mortar Battery, 5 pieces. 5. Fort 
Moultrie, 9 guns. 6. Mortar Battery, 2 pieces. 7. Battery Eutledge, 6 guns; also 
a redoubt, 6 field-pieces. 8. Fort Beauregard, 13 guns. 9. Detached Batteries, 8 
guns. 10. Fort Marshall, 14 guns. 

II. Christ Church Parish. Six positions. 1. Beach Batteries, 2 guns. 2. 
Battery Gary, 2 guns. 3. Hog Island Battery, magazines and bomb-proofs only. 

4. Hobcaw Point Battery, for 2 guns. 5. Castle Pinckney, 4 guns. 6. Fort Bip- 
ley, for 2 guns. 

III. City Batteries. Six positions. 1. Calhoun Street Battery, 1 gun. 2. 
Laurens Street Battery, 1 gun. 3. Custom House Battery, 1 gun. 4. Yanderhorst 
Wharf Battery, 2 guns. 5. Battery Bamsay, 6 guns. 6. Battery Waring, 2 guns. 

IY. James Island. Five positions. 1. Battery Means, for siege guns. 2. 
Battery Glover, 3 guns. 3. Battery Wampler, 2 guns. ■ 4. Fort Johnson, 20 guns. 

5. Simkins Batteries, 6 guns. 

Y. Fort Sumter. When captured, 4 guns and 5 howitzers. 

Remember that these twenty-seven positions and 147 guns, with 
ditches, curtains, merlons, traverses, bomb-proofs, and magazines, were 
for the defense of Charleston, on the side of the sea, and against which we 
held Morris Island and waged the memorable siege. 

There were also defensive works to repel attacks from land-forces ap- 
proaching the city by its rear and flanks ; and these numbered more than 
thirty forts, redans, and batteries, and mounted above 100 guns. Thus 
Charleston was shielded by about 250 guns from more than fifty positions. 
Was ever a city more strongly fortified with forts, batteries, redans, 
redoubts, and rifle-pits ? Moreover, the inner harbor was rendered inacces- 
sible to a fleet by torpedoes and a variety of log, rope, and chain obstruc- 
tions. Immense, indeed, was the labor, skill, and cost of defending this 
chief commercial city of the would-be Southern Confederacy. 

All these heavy protections of Charleston fell into the keeping of the 
gunners of Rhode Island. We stood, at last, triumphantly upon the 
boasted birth-place and stronghold of the Rebellion. 

On entering Charleston, we found, by actual measurement, that our 



300 shot and shell. [February, 

Parrotts had had a range of 9,760 yards, and some had reached about 
seven miles. If any artillerists have exceeded that range, in actual siege, 
we hope the fact will be mentioned. 

Could we definitely make the statement of the number and weight of 
guns, tons of powder, shot and shell, used in forts, batteries, gun-boats, 
rams, and torpedoes, by the rebels on their side, around Charleston, during 
the war, and then the weight of guns, powder, and metal employed on 
our side, by the navy, and in our parallels, trenches, batteries, and forts, 
in our attacks and the protracted siege, truly ponderous and startling 
would be the footing. It was estimated that we handsomely handed into' 
Charleston not less than 13,000 shell. So much for one point and the 
work of two or three guns. This was only one item in the long work. 
Surely, when opening fire upon Sumter on the 12th of April, 1861, the 
seceding Charlestonians knew not how great a matter a little fire kindleth. 

Three days after the surrender of Charleston, Lieut. M. J. Higgins, 
with forty men, was ordered to take command of Sullivan's Island, and 
have charge of all the military works and their armaments. Some families 
had remained on the island during the siege, and were now well-nigh in a 
starving condition. During his stay there, the lieutenant issued to these 
poor people about one thousand five hundred rations. Sa}'S the lieutenant, 
k ' One woman told me that her husband, a short time before the surrender, 
having secured a bag of coffee, sold it in Charleston for $3,000, and then 
paid the $3,000 for a bushel of meal." This meal kept the family alive till 
the surrender. 

Grant's grip on Richmond may be somewhat comprehended from the 
following extracts from a ' ' Rebel War Clerk's Diary at the Confederate 
States Capital;" an intensely interesting work in two volumes: — 

" Jan. 27, (1865. ) Gold at $47 for one. . Feb. 2. Flour $800 to $1000 per barrel ; 
red, or cow beans, $80 per bushel; potatoes, $50 per bushel. Feb. 11. Slaves, 
about $5,000, Confederate States notes, or $100 in specie; a great depreciation; be- 
fore the war they commanded ten times that price. Feb. 17. Black beans, $65 
per bushel. Feb. 18. One hundred for one is asked f orgold. Feb. 24. Beef and pork 
$7 to $9 per pound; butter, from $15 to $20. March 3. $1,600 in paper — less than 
$300 in specie. March 5. The government gives $1 in gold for sixty of its own 
paper. March 6. A quarter of a cord of oak wood, $55. March 8. Cotton clotb, 
$12 to $15 per yard ; meal, $2 per pound; bacon, $13 per pound. March 18. Ba- 
con, $20 per pound ; meal, $140 per bushel. March 20. Flour, $1,500 per barrel. 
March 23. Beef, $12 to $15 per pound; bacon, $20; butter, $20. 

In a previous chapter we mentioned the fact that General Hatch's force, 
with which Company A was associated, was near the Edisto when Charles- 
ton surrendered. This force immediately moved up to the city. But Com- 
pany A had little rest, for as yet affairs were quite mixed, and there was a 
demand for light guns in clearing up sections of South Carolina. 

Lieut. F. A. Wilcoxson remained with General Hatch as Assistant Quar- 
termaster till May, and his efficiency was complimented by the General. 



1865.] 



THIRD R. I. H. ARTILLERY. 



301 



After a single day's halt in the cit} T , a section of the company — near 
fort} r men with their two pieces — under Lieutenant Elliott, had orders to 
move with General Potter's force up to the Santee River, about fifty miles. 
Our first halt and bivouac was at Goose Creek, a beautiful and somewhat 
romantic locality, boasting of old homesteads and hoary live-oaks. On our 
march we also bivouacked at Monk's Corner, famous in the records of the 
Revolution. Reaching the vicinity of Santee River, and finding none of 
the chivalry ready to dispute with us, we remained a few days in making- 
martial observations, and glancing at the fertile county, and disposing of 
deserted property, and then turned back to Charleston plajing quite vigor- 
ously the role of bummers. We met the rebels in this expedition only as 
videttes and skirmishers. Hardee had more faith in his heels than in his 
guns. Returning to Charleston after an absence of about three weeks, we 
encamped near the cit3 r in the Trotting Park, where our captured men had 
been imprisoned. Here we had an opportunity to study the scars of 
Charleston, and learn of the extreme range of our guns wielded on Morris 
Island. The city wore sackcloth and ashes. 



CHAPTER LV1II. 



THE FALLING- CONFEDERACY. 
March — April, 1865. 

The will-o'-wisp dies in the moor. 

Victories for the Federal arms were daily multiplying, and the brave 
old flag of the nation was being lifted on the mountains and along all the 
shores of the Atlantic and the Gulf of Mexico. 

In March, Compan}^ A had returned to Beaufort ; Company C was still 
in Virginia, aiding General Grant in his triumphs ; Company B was in pos- 
session of Sullivan's Island ; Company D was holding the forts on Morris 
and Folly Islands, with head-quarters in Fort Strong. 

March 17. The old members of companies L and M had now com- 
pleted their term of three years. With them, since the summer of the 
previous year, had been serving some of the veterans that had belonged to 
other companies. Now these veterans and others were consolidated and 
made up what was known as new Company D, while the squads of men 
whose term of service had expired, returned to Rhode Island. Of the 
veteran officers and men now remaining on the front, it is not too much to 
say, in view of their long services and large experiences with their guns, 
that the world never knew more skillful practical artillerists. 

April 19. We received the unspeakably afflictive "General Order, 
No. 66," dated "Washington, D. C, April 16, 1865," announcing the 
assassination of President Lincoln, and his death on the morning of the 
15th ; and ordering, for the next da}^, thirteen guns at sunrise, and a sin- 
gle gun at intervals of thirty minutes through the day from sunrise to sun- 
set, and at the close of the day thirty-six guns. Our head-quarters, with 
every post, were draped in mourning. The flags of the forts and posts, 
and those in Charleston, were hoisted at half-mast. 

April 20. Per order, the mournful guns were opened. The troops were 
paraded at 10 o'clock, a. m., and listened to the order announcing the 
Nation's bereavement. Captain Barker fired the thirteen 'guns at sunrise 
from Strong and Putnam. Lieutenant Burroughs did the same from 
Moultrie and Bee. Then followed the solemn half-hour guns through all 




DEFENCES OF RICHMOND AND PETERSBURG. 



304 



SHOT AND SHELL. 



[April, 



the sad day, ending with the deep-toned thirty-six at sunset. "What a bil- 
low of sorrow at Mr. Lincoln's death rolled over our Nation, and, indeed, 
over the civilized world, for no human death was ever so widely and sin- 
cerely mourned. As we fired our heavy guns, our eyes filled with tears, 
and we choked with deepest emotion. Even now those requiem guns 
sound in our ears, and our draped flag hangs in the halls of memory. In- 
sane secession commenced its career with theft and closed it with assassina- 
tion. 

The murder of President Lincoln — the last barbaric throe of the 
spirit of Rebellion — in keeping with the spirit that had ruled at Anderson- 
ville — was more unfortunate for the South than for the North ; for the 
great fatherly heart of Mr. Lincoln would have been generous — possibly 
too much so — to submissive adversaries, and more tender than was the 
nature of Andrew Johnson. By the atrocious murder of the head of the 
Nation, the hyyal people throughout the county were both deeply grieved 
and greatly exasperated. The deed can never be forgotten. 

For four dark years had Freedom's 'members bled ; 
Now with the members lies the bleeding head. 

May 2. The general order of the War Department, dated " Washing- 
ton, D. C, April 9, , 10 o'clock, p. m.," required us, on the day fol- 
lowing its receipt, to " fire a salute of 200 guns, in commemoration of the 
surrender of Gen. R. E. Lee and the Army of Northern Virginia to 
Lieutenant-General Grant and the army under his command." This, 
then, was emphatically our jubilant da}'. Were there ever gladder gun- 
ners? We bent to our mammoth pieces with a vim and vigor correspond- 
ing to our beating hearts and bounding souls. Captain Barker ordered 
the firing at Strong and Putnam ; Lieutenant Burroughs fired from Moultrie 
and Bee; Lieutenant Hackett fired from Fort Johnson. Here, unfortu- 
nately, a gun burst and instantly killed Thomas Riley and Thomas Ryan 
(Company D). 

While human calculations were greatly disappointed in the events and 
duration of the war, it became plain to us all, before its termination, that 
Divine Providence had ordered events with reference to great and per- 
manent issues ; the complete exhaustion of the slave-holders, in their 
strength, means, and reputation, and hence the utter overthrow of their 
moral and political philosophy. This is the divine economj' in respect to 
great social and national evils that assume organic and chartered forms. 
Armistices, conventions, compromises, and alliances with wrongs, only 
encourage and augment them. When an unrighteous system has fully 
developed itself and made its native hideousness apparent to the world, 
the Divine Ruler points men to the lesson, and at the same time sweeps 
the evil from its proud and defiant eminence. 

Our last mention of Company A left them outside the defenses of 
Charleston, after their return from Santee River. Here they remained but 



1865.] 



THIRD R. I. H. ARTILLERY. 



305 



a short time, studying the ruins of the city, and then were ordered to 
embark for the city of Beaufort, on Port Koyal Island. 

May 4. The same section that went up the Santee River, under Lieut. 
E. W. Waterhouse and Lieut. K. E. Elliott, was ordered to Savannah, Ga., 
to report to General Grover, where, shortly, Lieutenant Waterhouse, with 
his pieces, was ordered to join General Washburn's brigade of the Nine- 
teenth Corps, on their march to Augusta, Ga., with the view of cutting off 
the flight of Jeff Davis. But our Federal cavalry overtook the hooded and 
mantled traitor, and taking him in charge, spared our men the necessity of 
dashing on beyond Augusta. 

From the experiences of our officers and men with Sherman's army, in 
Georgia and South Carolina — marching like a gale, and "bumming" like a 
tornado — we have some claim to sing, as we did, the stirring ballad, so 
widely known, and so exhilarating to the blood of all Federal troops. 

Marching Through Georgia. 

Words and Music by Henry C Work. 

(Inscribed to Gen. W. T. Sherman.) 

Bring the good old bugle, boys, we'll sing an- Yes ' and tnere were Union men who wept 

other song ; with joyful tears, 

Sing it with a spirit that will start the world "When they saw the honored flag they had not 

along- ; 1 seen for years ; 

Sing it as we used to sing it, fifty thousand Hardly could they be restrained from break- 
strong, in §' forth in cheers, 
While we were marching through Georgia. | While we, etc. 
Hurrah ! hurrah ! we bring the jubilee ! Sherman's dashing Yankee beys will never 
Hurrah ! hurrah ! the flag that makes us ! reach the coast ; 

So the saucy rebels said; and 'twas a hand- 
some boast ; 
Had they not forgot, alas ! to reckon with 
the nost, 
While we, etc. 
So we made a thoroughfare for Freedom and 
her train, 

Sixty miles in latitude — three hundred to the 
main ; 

Treason fled before us, for resistance was in 
vain, 
Wlrile we, etc. 

Our march along the rich and frequently beautiful banks of the Savan- 
nah, measured about one hundred and thirty-five miles, and would have 
been highly enjoyed but for our necessary haste. 

Sergt. C. D. Holmes' journal has the following entries: "Monday, 
May loth, (1865). Here we are at Augusta, Ga., after a march of 135 
miles, which occupied eight days. We received orders on the 5th to pre- 
pare the Parrott section to go to Savannah (from Beaufort, S. C.) ; started 
on the morning of the 6th by steamer Oneota ; reached Savannah in 
afternoon ; left Savannah on morning of the 7th with four regiments of the 
Nineteenth Corps under General Washburn ; made Sisters' Ferry in three 
20 



free ! 

So we sang the chorus from Atlanta to the sea, 
While we were marching through Georgia. 

How the darkies shouted when they heard the 
joyful sound; 

How the turkies gobbled which our commis- 
sary found : 

How the sweet potatoes even started from the 
ground, 
While we, etc. 



306 



SHOT AND SHELL. 



[May 



clays and drew ten days' rations ; advanced to Augusta without any re- 
markable occurrence." " May 22d. We are quartered in the Arsenal, 
used by the United States before the war, enclosed' by a wall fifteen feet in 
height, and inside the square are large shade trees, most of them mul- 
berries now in fruit." " Augusta is the best looking city that I have seen 
in the South, but there is not much Union feeling here." 

While in Augusta, Ga., rebel officers and soldiers surveyed us very in- 
quisitively and sometimes ventured upon direct questions. One, stepping 
up consequentially, asked, " What Battery is this?" Instantly, with full 
voice, a good gunner replied, " The One Hundred and Third Rhode Island 
Battery." The inquirer said, " I have fought in every part of the country 
during the war, and everywhere we have met the Rhode Island Artillery. 




chapin's bluff. 



Did Rhode Island send nothing but artillery into the field?" We did not 
care to disabuse the rebel's estimate of Rhody's ability to strike heavy 
blows. 

After spending three weeks in Augusta, contemplating the ruins of 
the Confederacy and the sullen submission of the Southern chivalry, our 
section, near the first of June, returned with their guns to Savannah — the 
beautiful but humiliated chVy of old slave-holders — and there, at ease, on 
guard duty, honored by the freedmen, and abundantly supplied with plan- 
tation fruits, spent the remaining period of their service. The camp of 
Company A, on Port Royal Island, was on the Cammell plantation, near 
where a number of our comrades had been buried, who died from the 
disaster on the George Washington. Here Company A buried Sergt. 
John Carpenter. 



CHAPTER LIX. 



RE-RAISING THE FLAG- OF SUMTER. 
April, 1865. 



Let Sumter's flag its story tell. 

Forever historic in our land will be Fort Sumter, by reason of the 
great scenes acted in and around its walls during the slave-holders' Rebel- 
lion. Here secession first lifted the brand of war. Here armed loj'alty 
first withstood the flames of madness. Here the emblem of our nation 
suffered its first deep humiliation. How fitting, then, that in the hour of 
its triumph it should be returned, with strength and joy, to the battlements 
from which it had been withdrawn. 

By " General Orders, No. 50," from the " War Department, Washing- 
ton, D. C, March 27, 1865," it was 

" Ordered. First — That at the hour of noon, on the fourteenth day of April, 
1865, Brevet Maj.-Gen. Anderson will raise and plant upon the ruins of Fort Sumter, 
in Charleston harbor, the same United States flag which floated over the battle- 
ments of that fort during the rebel assault, and which was lowered and saluted 
by him and the small force of his command when the works were evacuated, on 
the fourteenth day of April, 1861. 

Second — That the flag, when raised, be saluted by 100 guns from Fort Sumter, 
and by a national salute from every fort and rebel battery that fired upon Fort 

Sumter 

By order of the President of the United States, 

EDWIN" M. STANTON, 

Secretary of IPar." 

Maj.-Gen. Q. A. Gillmore's order read: — 

" The ceremonies for the occasion will commence, with prayer, at thirty min- 
utes past 11 o'clock, a. m. 

At noon, precisely, the flag will be raised, and saluted with 100 guns from Fort 
Sumter, and with a national salute from Fort Moultrie and Battery Bee, on Sulli- 
van's Island; Fort Putnam, on Morris Island; and Fort Johnson, on James Island. 

After the salutes, the Bev. Henry Ward Beecher will deliver an address. 

The services will close with prayer and a benediction." 

What a proud satisfaction it was to us of the Third Rhode Island 
Heavy Artillery that the execution of this joyous, national, historic salute 



308 



SHOT AND SHELL. 



[April, 



should be committed to our officers, and men, and guns — veterans of the 
long and never to be forgotten siege. 

April 14. At the hour named the army, the navy, the national 
authorities of Washington, dignitaries of every civil and professional rank, 
and eminent strangers — a multitude of notables — by war-ships, transports 
and boats, landed on the war-swept walls. Full 3,000 persons, men and 
women, crowded on the ruin. And now commenced the services : — 

I. Prayer by Bev. Matthias Harris, Chaplain United States Army, who offered 
the prayer at the raising of the flag when Major .Anderson removed his command 
from Fort Moultrie to Fort Sumter, Dec. 27, 1860. 

II. Beading the Scriptures by Rev. R. S. Storrs, Jr., d. d., and the audience 
alternately, from sheets prepared at The New South office, and distributed for use. 
The selected portions were Ps. cxxvi, xlvii, xcviii, and part of xx; closing with a 
doxology. A profound impression was made by this reading, following the Chap- 
lain's prayer, that recalled the past. 

III. Reading of Major Anderson's dispatch to the Government, dated Steam- 
ship Baltic, off Sandy Hoot, April 18, 1861, announcing the fall of Fort Sumter. 
The reading was by Brevet Brig.-Gen. E. D. Townsend, Assistant Adjutant- 
General, United States Army. 

IY. At the full hour of noon — all things in readiness — the battlements 
thronged with excited beholders — Major Anderson again lifted to its lawful place 
on the walls and to the breath of heaven, the same dear flag that floated during 
the assault of 1861. Who can describe the scene ? Who can utter the deep feel- 
ings that choked the bravest men and wet the eyes of all the thousands present. 

Y. And now came the eloquence of artillery. Rhode Island opened the pon- 
derous lips and spoke the thundering notes. Lieut. J. E. Burroughs and his men 
(Company B), pronounced the "one hundred" with the guns of Sumter. Capt. 
J. M. Barker and his command, Company D, answered with the national salute 
from Morris Island. Lieut. C. H. Williams and his men, Company B, responded 
from Sullivan's Island. And the air-rending chorus came in from the guns of 
Fort Johnson. Meanwhile, what cheers and tears, what joys and shouts, what 
waving - of flags, hats, and handkerchiefs. Memorable hour ! Exultantly did our 
veterans emphasize it, and count it an honor to handle the captured heavy guns in 
avenging the flag of the free and the brave. 

We need not ask how this music sounded to the Charlestonians. Where 
now was historic disgrace and shame ? 

YI. The band — the joyous band — struck and played as never before, while 
the host of army, navy, and citizens present, joined in singing 

The Star-spangled Banner. 
" O say, can you see, by the dawn's early light"— 

Like a billow of inspiring sound rolled the chorus : — 

" And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave 
O'er the land of the free, and the home of the brave." 

Such a rapturous hour was worth fighting for. How the hearts of all 
soldiers, and of the loyal millions in our land, beat with a thankful, unut- 
terable joy that our flag's humiliation was now canceled. 



1865.] 



THIRD R. I. H. ARTILLERY. 



309 



Aloft, behold their banner rise ! 
Fit ensign for the land we prize ; 
A flag- the breezes fond, caress, 
The flag that freemen ever bless, 
And stars of heaven delight to kiss ; 
Henceforth in spotless fame to "wave, 
The pledge of freedom to the slave, 
The standard of the free and brave. 

A history, Dear Flag, is thine, 

Sung on the mountain and the sea ; 
Thy folds, like heaven's pure stars, shall shine 

Till earth is lit with Liberty. 

VII. Xow followed the eloquent, patriotic, inimitable address by Rev. Henry 
Ward Beecher; the vast multitude hanging on his lips, and well-nigh the fort 
itself, rocking to the greatness of his thoughts and the grandeur of the occasion. 

VIII. The, whole host, led by the band, in the grand tune of Old Hundred, 
then lifted up to heaven the doxology: — 

" Praise God, from whom all blessings flow." 

IX. The closing prayer of thanksgiving and the benediction were by Rev. R. 
S. Storrs, Jr., D. D. 

Poets have been moved to sing of sieges. We wonder if, in the bright 
3~ears to come, a poet will not arise to celebrate in melodious phrase, the 
scenes of Sumter and the siege of Charleston. 

But we must now turn our eyes northward and look upon our comrades 
engaged in the siege of Petersburg and Richmond. 



CHAPTER LX. 



OUR FIELD-GUNS IN VIRGINIA. 

June, 1864 — 1865. 

The Greeks are at the gates of Troy. 

The sweep of our guns — heav} 7 and light — extended from Baldwin, Fla., 
to Richmond, Va. The amount of loyal powder, shot, shell, grape and 
canister, vigorously handed over to the Southern Confederacy, as our vol- 
untaiw contribution to the advancement of ideas, would make a grand foot- 
ing, and we greatly wish we could give it ; we should like to see it in a 
wagon-train, with all the guns we wielded mounted on wheels, behind. In 
brief we think we finely dotted and punctuated the history of slavery's 
secession. 

In a -previous chapter we left Company C engaged with the Army of 
the James in the siege of Petersburg. In this work of beleaguerment they 
had hard and almost unremitting service. Lieutenant Sabin and Sergt. J. 
R. Burgess, 2d, have furnished us notes. 

Soon after what was known as the battle of the South Side Railroad, 
we were ordered back, July 8th, to Bermuda Hundreds. From this time 
nothing of importance save stead}^ siege-work and occasional duels hap- 
pened to us until the famous " mine explosion" on the morning of July 
30th, when we held ourselves ready for an advance in case of success. 
The explosion of the mine was a success, but for some reason the order to 
advance was a failure. Every inch of ground was stubbornly disputed by 
the foe. 

Soon after the mine explosion we placed our guns in position in Fort 
Steadman opposite the exploded works to prevent their reconstruction. 
Action along our front and on the peninsula occurred dairy. 

Aug. 25. Hitherto we had acted with the Tenth Corps. Now we be- 
came a part of the Eighteenth Corps, under Gen. W. Smith. Slowly and 
tightly our grip was fastening upon its object. 

Aug. 28. Relieved by the Fifth United States, we left camp for 
Petersburg, and moved into Fort Wilcox, near the extreme left of the line, 
in front of the city. 

Sept. 5. Brought 'four of our guns into position in front of Petersburg. 



1864.] 



THIRD R. I. H. ARTILLERY. 



311 



Space does not allow us to speak of the storms, mud, heats, and dust of 
Virginia ; but these were common to all. 

Sept. 14. All the batteries in our brigade opened fire, and the rebels 
of Petersburg felt the notes of our loyal music. 

Sept. 21. Fired a shotted salute in honor of General Sheridan, for his 
success in the Shenandoah Valley. 

Sept. 27. Had orders to move to Deep Bottom. On this day occurred 
the battle of Kinsland Mills. 

Sept. 28. Ordered back to the pontoon bridge ; crossed the Appo- 
mattox and moved to Jones Landing. 

Sept. 29. Crossed the James and moved within seven miles of Rich- 
mond. 

Sept. 30. At 10 p. m., ordered to the front. 

Oct. 1. Our left section out on picket, on the Newmarket road. 

Oct. 7. At day- 
light the enen^ at- 
tacked Kautz's cav- 
ahy, and at 9 a. m., 
they came on our right 
flank but were re- 
pulsed ; our centre 
section was engaged. 
This has been known 
as the battle of Laurel 
Hill, and was an un- 
usually " livery job." 
The heavier loss fell 
upon the rebels, but 
on our side we lost 
Elder's Battery. Of our men, James M. Manchester was wounded, and 
two detached men from the Sixteenth New York Heavy Artillery serving 
with us, also received wounds — James J. Wales, who afterwards died, and 
John T. Hitchcock. 

While our battery was hotly engaged, a shot from one of the enemy's 
guns chanced to strike J. M. Manchester, plowing a neat little furrow in 
the flesh of his posteriors, as he stood sidewaj's to the front. As quick as 
thought, the cool gunner, having his mind on a possible furlough, straight- 
ened up and, slapping his hand on the wound, exultingly exclaimed : 
"Good for thirty days ! " Brave men learn to take the perils of war coolly. 

Another incident is furnished by Lieut. William S. Bailey (Company 
C) : "At the battle of Laurel Hill, Oct. 7, while Batteiy C was under the 
enen^'s fire, a shell came over and burst just above our heads. Jack 
Mulligan — the same that captured the rebel on James Island (June, 
1862) — was tending vent on No. 3 gun. A piece of one of the rebel 
shells came down and cut three of the buttons from the breast of his 




312 



SHOT AND SHELL. 



[October, 



jacket, tearing the cloth in such a manner as to expose the inside pocket 
and lining of his jacket, and then buried itself in the ground, between his 
feet, without injuring him. Jack, without taking his* thumb from the vent, 
deliberately, with the unemployed hand, began feeling inside his pocket, 
and soon withdrew his hand, and, holding up to our view one of the most 
villanous-looking, short-stemmed, black, clay pipes, while his little black 
eyes sparkled with glee, exclaimed: 'Be jabers, boys, it didn't hurt me 
pipe a bit.' " 

Oct. 8. From a light battery on our right, the enemy opened fire on 
us, near Chapin's farm, while we were preparing to move our camp farther 
to the rear, and for a short time we had quite a sensation. Captain Ham- 
ilton's Batten T (E, Third United States Artiller}-), having just moved camp, 
brought their guns into action across the main road, and occupied the at- 
tention of our assailants. We had literally to pass through the fire, just in 
rear of this battery, yet we lost only four horses cut down in harness. Our 
pieces were ordered to the left of Hamilton's battery, when the rebels 
changed their position into a piece of woods and under the" protection of 
their infant^, after which a general engagement ensued, lasting nearly 
through the day. We were engaged, in fact, from 8 o'clock in the morning, 
till 4 o'clock in the afternoon, when the enemy retired. 

After this vigorous but vain attempt of the rebels to break our lines, 
with which we were slowly but surely destroying the hopes of the city, we 
were ordered to what was known as Signal Hill, on the right flank of the 
line of intrenchments. Our quarters, Camp Holly, were fixed on the hill, 
and our six pieces were in position at Fort Signal Hill, supported by a 
battalion of colored infantry. 

While here we were visited hy our excellent and honored commander, 
Col. C. R. Bray ton, who, after his return to Rhode Island, accepted the 
appointment of the State to visit the Rhode Island troops in Virginia, and 
distribute among them blank ballots for their votes in the impending 
presidential election, and to receive their sealed votes and return them to 
the State, to be opened and counted by the appointed authorities. This 
right of voting was unrestricted in respect to party preferences ; ballots 
for the nominees of both parties were given to each soldier, and Colonel 
Brayton urged each man to vote in obedience to his own sense of duty. 
As Colonel Brayton was once the loved and popular commander of this 
company, his reception amongst them on the front in Virginia was warm 
and enthusiastic. 

Near Camp Holly stood a plantation-house, owned by a man named 
Libby ; this house shortly vanished away, the stock being appropriated for 
tent-floors, bunks, and the like loyal uses. Another house, where the oc- 
cupants played the role of " Unionists " to our expense, was reduced to 
the ground. It was too much for our equanimity that proud Virginians, 
intensely hating all Yankees, should hypocritically assume the character of 
loyal men at the expense of our lives. 



1864-5.] 



THIRD R. I. H. ARTILLERY. 



313 



Oct. 16. Our guns were moved into the redoubt. 

Oct. 20. Fired a salute in honor of a victoiy in the valley. 

Oct. 24. Relieved from the redoubt. 

Oct. 31. Moved down to the Signal Hill fort. 

Nov. 25. Had something of a Thanksgiving dinner. 

Dec. 4. Went to Fort Burnham (rebel Fort Harrison) . 

Dec. 13. Visited by General Meade. 

Dec. 10. The rebels shelled us with mortars, and we were obliged to 
lie close to our shelters. 

About this time General Grant, in cavalry coat and hat, visited us and 
talked freely with officers and men, at the time unknown to us.. After- 
wards he visited us in our bomb-proof. 

Dec. 18. Relieved from Fort Burnham and went into our caisson 
camp. 

Jan. 15. Within two and a half miles of Petersburg, we reached the 
intrenched position of the rebels, extending from the Appomattox across 
the heights, near the city. The troops were formed in line of battle, under 
cover of a forest fronting the enemy's works, and between which wood and 
the enemy was an open field. The infantry were ordered to lie down and 
await orders. 

Our company (C) brought our guns into position and opened fire ; and 
we poured the metal on the enemy's front during most of the afternoon, 
preventing all their operations and movements from their works. Finally, 
under cover of our fire, our troops made a charge and captured the works. 

Jan. 23. Our men and guns were enjoying apparent security. But 
during the night, six rebel rams slipped their halters, up the river, and ran 
past us in the darkness, and passing Fort Brady, at last grounded in the 
bend of Dutch Gap, under our batteries, having intended a raid down the 
river. As, in the morning (24th), our batteries opened on the lost sheep, 
blowing up one and urging the retreat of the others, the rebel batteries 
near Fort Burnham (formerly rebel Fort Harrison) , opened their best possi- 
ble fire on us, beginning near noon, and holding on till near 4 o'clock, 
p. m. ; exploding at least a hundred shell over and in the fort, one shell 
cutting through the top of our magazine. A mortar battery and Fort Gil- 
mer annoyed us not a little. Our guns were too small to reply with effect ; 
so we endured the storm as best we could. 

Jan. 25. We returned to Fort Burnham, relieving Battery D of the 
Regular Army. 

Our experiences lay around Petersburg, and along the Appomattox 
River. When in Fort Burnham, we were with the Twent} T -fifth Corps 
(colored troops) . On our corps front, we had ninetj^-two pieces of artil- 
lery of various calibres. 

Feb. 7. Robert Egan (Company C), died of heart disease. 



CHAPTER LXI. 



EVACUATION OF RICHMOND. 
Apbtl — May, 1865. 

Avenging justice hides her hour. 

Stroke upon stroke of determined right told at last upon the hopes and 
the heart of the Confederacy. General Grant's persistency was but the 
embodiment of the national will. No sacrifices, however great, could 
daunt the determination of the loyal in our country to overthrow the 
armies of rebellion. Petersburg and Richmond have scars and wounds to 
make them forever historic. Men of our command acted their part in this 
memorable work. 

.Sheridan, having completed his famous raid, joined the forces in front 
of Petersburg, March 27th. Grant had already issued (March 24th) his or- 
ders to his generals to be ready to move March 29th, ' ' for the double purpose 
of turning the enemy out of his position around Petersburg, and to ensure 
the success of the cavaliy in its efforts to reach and destroy the South Side 
and Danville railroads." 

April 2. A bombardment, commenced in the night, was kept up till 
4 o'clock in the morning, when an assault was ordered on the enemy's 
lines. A portion of General Gibbon's corps, by a most gallant charge, 
captured two strong enclosed works, the most salient and commanding 
south of Petersburg, thus materially shortening the line of investment for 
taking the city. Now all the " dogs of war" were up, with open mouths, 
intent upon the foe. 

Perceiving the death-grasp that was now swiftly closing upon them, the 
rebels made haste by order of Lee, to evacuate both Petersburg and Rich- 
mond on the night of April 2d, and started toward Danville. Jeff Davis 
and his junto had already taken flight. Desperate, in their humiliating re- 
treat, the rebels set fire to Richmond as the}" left it ; but our troops, 
quickly pressing into it, saved it from ashes. 

April 3. A day of wonderful excitement. Rebels flj'ing ; Grant's 
host pursuing. The Stars and Stripes waving in Petersburg and Rich- 
mond, and advancing as on the wings of the wind upon the flying Army of 
Northern Virginia. 



1865.] 



THIRD R. I. H. ARTILLERY. 



315 



We remained in Fort Burnham, in front of Richmond, on the north side 
of the James, till the night of April 2d, when the whole front was in com- 
motion, and we had orders to be ready to move out. Soon after 1 o'clock, 
a. m. , April 3d, we started for Richmond on the corduroy road, and 
finally, by roads and fields, after a march of three or four miles, reached 
the city which we entered near nine o'clock, finding it burning, and all the 
inhabitants in utmost confusion and anxiety. We halted at Rockets, and 
watched the turmoil and the conflagrations. We finally took station in 
Camp Lee, in the upper part of the city, and remained about two weeks. 

The fall of Richmond, like that of Savannah and Charleston, was 
brought about by superior strategy and force. The Confederates fought 
bravely and desperately while any hope of success in battle, or of favorable 
negotiations with the Federal Government, remained to them, and at last 
succumbed to the heavier battalions, under the stress of complete exhaus- 
tion. History must award to the rebels courage and determination, albeit 
these qualities were de- 
voted to a wrong and 
vain course. And their 
political insanity contin- 
ued with them to the end. 
On evacuating Peters- 
burg and Richmond, 
thej' repeated the mad- 
ness of destroying, as 
far as possible, all pub- 

1 n GENERAL, GRANT S HEAD-QUARTERS. 

lie property. Stores of 

cotton, tobacco, arms, ordnance, and supplies, with arsenals, rams, and 
gun-boats were set on fire. Of Richmond, especially, it might be said 
" the smoke of her torment ascended up to heaven." The destruction of 
the city was stayed only by General Wietzel and his troops, after entering 
the city on the morning of April 3d. Conflagration was the last weapon 
of Rebellion, and even this was overcome by our brave soldiers. 

April 9. The battle that had been raging for eleven da}'S and nights, 
with unwonted energy on both sides, from the defenses of Petersburg and 
Richmond along the railways and wagon-roads to Appomattox Station, now 
sublimely culminated in the surrender of Lee and his arnry at the village 
dignified by the name of Appomattox Court House. The news speedily 
flew through all our armies, and along all our lines. While the fire of our 
guns instantly ceased, the fire of our hearts as instantly broke forth in un- 
controllable manifestations, shouts, hurras, music, cheers, waving of caps, 
beating of drums, saluting of flags, and firing salutes. 

When the official order had been duly promulgated and all things were 
in readiness to fire the salute of two hundred guns in commemoration of 
the surrender of Lee's army, it may be imagined that our men were at their 




316 



SHOT AND SHELL. 



[May. 



guns with a will. Their salvos seemed to shake the rejoicing earth and 
the smiling heavens. They almost believed that the thunder of their guns 
was heard by their glad comrades in South Carolina, and their happy kin- 
dred in New England. 

General Sherman reached Raleigh, N. C, April 13th, and the next day 
received proposals from General Johnston relative to the surrender of his 
part of the Confederate forces, and on the 26th received the surrender of 
that army, thus closing the war in all the east. There was, therefore, no 
further call for active operations save in collecting scattered forces, gather- 
ing up the trophies of war and returning arms and ordnance to the govern- 
ment depots. We could now turn and pertinently inquire of the seces- 
sionists : — 

lt Think you Truth a farthing- rushlight to he pinched out when you will, 
With your deft official fingers, and your politicians' skill?" 

After seeing the terms of Lee's surrender complied with, and attending 
to the protection of public property in Richmond, we passed, with other ar- 
tillery forces, through Manchester, experiencing a terrific rain storm, and 
marched to Petersburg. Passing through the city we took position, with 
other batteries in the rear of the town. Naturally enough we visited and 
examined the fallen rebel works and studied the ruins around us. 

Finally we were ordered with the colored infantry to Light House Point, 
on the James River, about four miles from City Point. While here, as 
Captain Langdon was absent on furlough, our commander, Capt. M. S. 
James was Acting Chief of Artillery, a position that he held till we had or- 
ders to prepare for our muster out. 

Again we were ordered to Petersburg and camped outside the city 
about two weeks ; then marched to Manchester, opposite Richmond, where 
we were duly mustered out of the service, to draw our pay on reaching 
Rhode Island. 

After crossing to Richmond, we marched on foot to Rockets and took 
transporation to Baltimore, not reluctantly watching the north star. 
Reaching Baltimore on Sunday morning, recollecting the march of the 
Massachusetts troops in 1861, we moved proudly through the streets, 
singing 

" When Johnny conies marching- home." 

Remaining in Baltimore till evening, we secured transportation to Phila- 
delphia, where, on arriving a little past midnight, we were generously 
fed and cheered at the Cooper Shop Volunteer Refreshment Saloon — ever 
worthy of grateful mention. From Philadelphia, via Amboy, we reached 
New York, and, by a very hurried march across the city, caught the Shore 
Line train, that took us to Providence. 

The reception of Company C in Providence was as warm as that ex- 
tended to those who had reached home before them, and as that which 
awaited their regimental comrades soon to follow. 



CHAPTER LXII. 



THE FINAL SHOTS OF THE WAR. 
April — June, 1865. 

Through God the Truth is clothed with might. 

Though the bloody work of war was nearly ended, no little labor re- 
mained on the field, regathering scattered forces and making provision 
for guarding the results of the conflict. Some time was required to make 
us certain of the professed sincerity of the rebels in accepting the terms of 
surrender. Nor was it proper to at once leave the States that had thrown 
themselves into the vortex of secession, without some national authority to 
assist them in regaining their lost places in the Nation. The transition 
from martial to civil rule could not be accomplished in a day. 

April 16. Port Royal harbor, and all the region round about, enjo}'ed 
a new and peculiar sensation. The steamer William P. Clyde, from 
Savannah, on her way north, anchored for a few hours in the harbor at 
Hilton Head. She had on board the notable prisoners of war — repre- 
sentatives of the fallen Confederac}^ — Jeff Davis and family, Alexander 
H. Stephens, rebel Vice-President ; John H. Reagan, rebel Postmaster- 
General ; Clement C. Cla}^, General Wheeler, and other arch traitors. 
Our Rhode Island men, General Brayton (then stationed at Hilton Head) , 
and Lieut. C. H. Williams, there on army duty, had the satisfaction of 
looking upon these chiefs of the rebellion, now in the humble attitude of 
captives. We had no further occasion to sing 

" We'll hang- Jeff Davis on a sour apple tree." 

We felt rather like joining the freedmen in singing 

" O neber you fear if neber j r ou hear 
De driver blow his horn." 

General Sherman and his army entered Raleigh, N. C, on the thirteenth 
of April, and, after some discussion of measures of mercy, received, April 
26th, the surrender of Johnston and his 31 ,000 men. No further rebel army 
remained in the east. On the eighth of May General Taylor surrendered 
with his army to General Canby, and this left no Confederate force east of 
the Mississippi. Jeff' Davis in his flight was captured Ma}- 10th, near Irwin- 



318 



SHOT AND SHELL. 



[May, 



ville, Ga., and conveyed to Fortress Monroe. Gen. E. Kirby Smith and 
Ms army in Texas, the last of the rebel forces, laid down "their arms on the 
twenty-sixth of Ma}'. Only a few guerillas and certain rebel keels on the 
sea now remained to represent the Confederacy that had boasted of chang- 
ing the destiny of our country ; and these outlaws soon perished. 

However others may, w T e certainly never shall forget how, through 
English sympathy and English capital, the slave-holders' Rebellion was en- 
couraged and strengthened and prolonged. English munitions of war were 
exchanged for Confederate cotton and bonds. English hands built rebel 
corsairs, and deftly constructed swift keels for illicit traffic with our enemy. ' 
We were obliged to contend with English sentiments and English guns. 
After due consideration, we have credited the toil, treasure, and blood of 



the last two years of the war to England — a heavy account certainly, by 
no means fully met by the millions of gold awarded to us by the Geneva 
Arbitration. As John Bull selfishly, if not madly, gored us in the hour of 
our calamity and affliction, we shall claim the right of remembering our 
wound in the years of our prosperity. Thank God, we triumphed over all 
our foes. 

May 24. Emery Fiske (Company D), who was wounded by a prema- 
ture discharge of a gun, while firing a salute May 2d, died, in the General 
Hospital in Charleston, and was buried in Magnolia Cemetery, about two 
miles from the city — a place of sacred beauty, being to Charleston what 
Mount Auburn is to Boston. 

At the fall of the Confederacy, the Federal Government had over a 
million of men in the Army, and above fifty thousand in the Navy. It 
required some time and great labor of routine for these forces to turn over 




Mclean's house, place of lee's sureendee. 



1865.] 



THIRD R. I. H. ARTILLERY. 



319 



their posts and property, move to convenient centres, and be mustered out 
of the service. Meanwhile, certain grave questions of national duty 
and policy relative to the late insurgent States and the four millions of 
freed slaves, required the retention of a portion of our volunteer army, 
until some line of procedure should be adopted. The atrocious assassina- 
tion of President Lincoln made it clear that the spirit of Rebellion was not 
extinguished by the surrender of the rebel armies. Portions of the Vet- 
eran Volunteers therefore remained for a time in the service, to aid the 
Regular Army in the preservation of order. The aggregate of our command 
at this time was 463. 

With all our opposition to the rebels and to slavery, that inspired the 
rebellion, and with all our joy at the downfall of the Confederacy, we yet 
felt a kind of sympathy, strongly verging upon compassion, for the people 
of the South who had madly, foolishly brought upon themselves such great 
losses and such painful destitution. A host of their best men had perished 
in battle. All their money, and most of their personal property, had been 
swept away. They had incurred immense confederate debts that they 
could never satisfy. At home and abroad their reputation was ruined. 
The old institution upon which they stood — the foundation of their domes- 
tic and political economy — was utterly demolished. Poor, powerless, 
bruised, disgraced, yet keenly sensitive through pride and the recollections 
of former affluence and rank, they received a measure of our pity as well 
as the honest sentiment of blame. 

Having finished our work, we were anxious to reach our homes. We 
had seen the end of our desire — the prostrate and dead Confederacy, 
and the flag of a free Union triumphant over all portions of the land. Wil- 
lingly we had waited till all necessar}- adjustments of affairs had been 
completed. But great was our joy when orders began to be issued for our 
muster out. We had made our record with the strokes of our cannon from 
Petersburg, Va., to the unredeemed forests beyond Pilatka, Fla. ; and our 
victor feet had trod the streets of Savannah, Charleston, Augusta, Peters- 
burg and Richmond. 

June 12. Company C, under Capt. Martin S. James, numbering four- 
officers and ninety -two enlisted men, arrived in Providence, R. I. They 
were received with a warm salute fired by a detachment of the Marine Ar- 
tillery, and were escorted by the Burnside Zouaves to Washington Hall, 
where they were welcomed by Adjt.-Gen. E. C. Mauran, and shared a col- 
lation prepared by L. H. Humphreys, under the direction of Assistant Com- 
missary G-en. Henrie Crandall. They had nobly served with the Twenty- 
fourth Army Corps in the reduction of Petersburg and Richmond, and had 
shared the joy and exultation — altogether inexpressible — on the surren- 
der of Lee and his Army of Northern Virginia. As victors from these ever 
memorable fields, they were honored by all our citizens and received with 
tears of joy in their homes. 



320 



SHOT AND SHELL. 



[June, 



LIEUTENANT KEENE. 



Lieut. Edwin W. Keene, by reason of failing health — quick consump- 
tion — having served more than his three years, and yet anxious to serve 
to the last, was reluctantly compelled to accept a discharge, on Sullivan's 
Island, near the end of June, and, returning to Rhode Island, died in 
Providence July 2, 1865. He was the son of Seth H., and Isabella 
Keene, and was born in Fairhaven, Mass., in 1835. He was buried, with 
fitting honors, at Taunton. The generous friend, -good soldier, true officer, 
and staunch patriot lived only seventeen days after his discharge from the 
service. The members of Company B cleepty mourned for him. He 
entered the service as a Sergeant in Companj^ E, and won his commission 
by merit. His good character, fidelity, bravery, and magnanimity gave 
him a large place in all our hearts. We enroll him among our martyrs. 



It will be remembered with what joy the nation, having emerged from 
her fiery baptism, celebrated her great national holiday. In the rejoicings 
the army had a right to largely share. Major-General Gillmore issued his 
orders for the celebration : " The firing of a national salute at sunrise, 
and a salute of a 100 guns at noon ; immediately after which the troops 
will be paraded and the Declaration of Independence and the President's 
Emancipation Proclamation will be read to them. Wherever it is deemed 
practicable an oration will be delivered." ..." The inhabitants of 
the country and citizens temporarily residing within the Department are 
cordially invited to participate in these national festivities." 

As inaugurating the new civil life in South Carolina, we here add a 
programme of popular exercises, in which our regiment was represented : — 




PLACE OF JOHNSTON'S SURRENDER. 



1865.] THIRD R. I. H. ARTILLERY. 321 

jfytltbmii&n off tht fourth off ^f»% t 

1865. 
PORT T^OITJ^Tj, S. O- 

All loyal Citizens in this District ( White and Colored ) are invited 
to participate in the approaching celebration of our 

NATIONAL BIRTHDAY, 

THE 

Fourth of July, 

On the 

DRAYTON PLANTATION, 

Near Mitchellville, S. C, commencing at 10 o'clock, A. M. 

§rder of Bhcerciaea. 

1st. PRAYER - - - - By REV. MR. COREY. 

2d. HAIL COLUMBIA - By THE POST BAND. 

3d. Reading ol the Declaration of Independence - MAJOR SALISBURY, U. S. A. 
4th. STAR SPANGLED BANNER - - - - By THE POST BAND. 

5th. Reading- of the Emancipation Proclamation - By Dr. E. T. WRIGHT. 

6th. OLD JOHN BROWN and BABYLON By THE POST BAND. 

7th. ORATION By BREVET BRIG.-GEN. M. S. LITTLEFIELD. 

8th. RED, WHITE AND BLUE By THE POST BAND. 

9th. PRAYER AND BENEDICTION - - - By REV. MR. WIRT. 

10th. A COLLATION will be furnished, free, to all Colored People at the " Freedmen's 
Home," 

COMMITTEE OF A.JE*.ttA.TVGrJESJSlL^nsrrr£i* 

CAPTAIN JOHN HAYES, A. Q. M., CHAIRMAN. 
BREVETiBRIG.-GEN C. L. KILBURN, C. C. S., D. S. 
COLONEL B. W. THOMPSON, PRO. MAR. GEN. 
COLONEL WM. AMES, CHIEF ART'Y., D. S. 
COLONEL C. R. BRAYTON, POSTMASTER. 
MAJOR E. V. ELLIOTT, CHIEF PAYMASTER, D. S. 
MAJOR C. W. THOMAS, CHIEF QUARTERMASTER, D. S. 
MAJOR T. J. SANDERS, PAYMASTER, U. S. A. 
MAJOR A. G. SALISBURY, PAYMASTER, U. S. A. 
CAPTAIN J. MERRILL, CHIEF SIGNAL CORPS, D. S. 
CAPTAIN W. T. SEWARD, COM'Y SUB. VOLS. 
CAPTAIN M. S. HODGES, M. S. K„ U. S. A. 
CAPTAIN E. FITZGERALD, A. Q. M. 
DR. J. F. HUBER, SURGEON, U. S. A. 
DR. P. C. DAVIS, ASS'T. SUR., U. S. A. 
DR. E. T. WRIGHT. 
T. C. SEVERANCE, COLLECTOR OF THE PORT. 
J. H. SEARS, ESQ. C. W. DENNIS, ESQ. 

J. FRANZ, ESQ. L. D. CUNNINGHAM, ESQ. 

J. BUCKLEY, ESQ. JOHN LINDSEY, ESQ. 

D. MclGREGOR, ESQ. O. G. DENNIS, ESQ. 

H. J. MURDOCK, ESQ. G. W. ATWOOD, ESQ. 



21 



322 



SHOT AND SHELL. 



[August, 



The unbroken United States of America spoke again to the Charles- 
tonians, reviving, doubtless, strange and mixed memories. Loyal cannon 
again opened their lips to celebrate the national anniversar}^ Captain 
Barker fired the national salute from Strong (old Wagner) , and Putnam 
(old Gregg). Lieutenant Burroughs swelled the same refrain from his 
guns in Sumter, Moultrie, and Battery Bee. Who can express the pride 
and exultation with which, on this clay, our men stood to their guns, 
beneath the starry flag, and spoke in thunder tones to the South Carolinians. 

Aug. 1. Company A, having received orders at Beaufort, S. C, under 
the order that included Company C, whose place they filled in the Depart- 
ment of the South, after that company was detached to serve the Army of 
the James, by transports, and the usual experiences of the sea-voyage, 
reached Providence, R. I., in the steamer Oceanus, and were furnished 
with a fitting collation in Washington Hall. Their roll counted five officers 
and eighty-three men. Here the} 7 were honorably mustered out. After a 
service of four years, with enough of the strange and tragic of a great war 
to fill a volume, and with the proud consciousness of having faithfully 
acted the heroic part, these honored veteran gunners were welcomed to 
their joj'ful homes. 

Aug. 5. Francis McQuillan (Compan} 7 A), died, at Hilton Head, hav- 
ing been left there in his sickness. 

Aug. 23. Maj. Augustus W. Colwell was promoted to be Lieutenant- 
Colonel, but at so late an hour in the service he could not be mustered in 
his new rank. He entered the regiment as First Lieutenant Aug. 27, 1861 ; 
was commissioned as Captain Nov. 28, 1862 ; and was advanced to be 
Major April 21, 1865. Probabty no officer during the war commanded 
more weight of guns, and ordered the throwing of more shot and shell than 
he ; if, indeed, the man ever lived that handled an equal amount. And 
all his work was done bravely, promptly, exactly, and effectually. 

Deserved promotions were bestowed upon other veteran and faithful 
officers of our command. Captains J. M. Barker and W. H. Hamner, for 
gallant conduct, received advancement to the rank of Major. First Lieu- 
tenants John E. Burroughs and James Bible, for brave deeds, were pro- 
moted to the rank of captain. Second Lieutenants C. H. Williams and 
C. E. Andrews, for worthy services, were commissioned as first lieutenants. 

And here we are pleased to record the fact that Col. C. R. Brayton, 
Col. W. Ames, and Maj. H. Rogers, Jr. (also Colonel of the Eleventh and 
Second Regiments of Rhode Island), received from the War Department, 
for heroic services, the honoraiy brevet rank of brigadier-general. 

Richly were all the above honorable military compliments merited. All 
the offices and insignia worn by our leaders and comrades were earned by 
hazards and faithful toils. 

All the dark war-clouds having now vanished, the light of our glad 
northern stars again shone brightly on our hearts, as revealed by the follow- 
ing correspondence : — 



1865.] 



THIRD R. I. H. ARTILLERY. 



323 



" Head-quarters, Third Rhode Island Heavy Artillery, ) 
Hilton Head, S. C, Aug. 9, 1865. j 

Major W. L. M. Berger, Asst. Adjutant-General, Department of South Carolina: — 
I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of orders for the muster-out of 

the remainder of the Third Rhode Island Heavy Artillery. 

I can have all ready for muster-out in about one week from date. 

Yery respectfully, your obedient servant, 

WM. AMES, 

Lieutenant-Colonel Third Rhode Island Heavy Artillery, Commanding. 

Sept. 11. Companies B.andD — all of the regiment not previously 
discharged — under Col. William Ames, arrived in Providence, R. I., on 
the 27th of August. They counted nine officers and 170 enlisted men. 
Landing from the steamer Galatea, they were received by the Spragueville 
Light Infantry, under Colonel Bennett, escorted to Washington Hall, and 
furnished with a collation. They were warmly welcomed as they marched 
through the streets. In a few days they received their final discharge. 

The Third Regiment was cheered and honored at its outgoing to the 
embattled field. Much more did the benedictions of all loyal hearts rest 
upon the last of the command when it returned, after four years, bearing 
its scars of service, its roll of martyred braves, and its list of memorable 
battles glowing on its standard. 

Words may not express the feelings of a volunteer soldier, on returning 
to his home, at the close of his full term of perilous service, having "jeop- 
arded his life" " in the high places of the field," in the overthrow of rebel- 
lion and anarchy, and the maintenance of the integrity and glorj' of his 
country, holding high its free and beneficent banner as an inspiration in the 
eyes of all the world. The consciousness of such self-sacrificing service for 
others, and for all coming time, is in itself an unutterable reward. The 
highest style of manhood is developed in living for the weal of mankind. 
History, we know, will tenderly and sacredly guard the names of all who 
bravely battled for the overthrow of the slave-holder's Rebellion. 

Brief as is the record we have given of our services as one of the com- 
mands in the great struggle for the preservation of the Nation, and the 
overthrow of slavery, and the political heresy of State sovereignty, we 
may believe that our stor}' will be cherished as a part of the instructive 
annals of the great civil war. 

Some of our men were long under fire before Petersburg. In the siege 
of Charleston, we were giving and taking shot continually for 588 days. 
In fact we were under fire as was no other command during the war. 

For convenience of reference, and in proof of our service, we may add 
to our narrative the following table : — 



294. 


brLUl AJND bHiii.LL. 


[August. 




T TQT r\TP Tj , "\"m/~\TT"N.T r PT7<T>C! 

IjIdI UJb JiiJN 0(J U JN 1-biKlb. 






1. 


Port Royal, S. C 


Nov. 7, 


1861 


2. 


Broad River, S. C. . 


Dec. 18, 


1861 


3. 


Port Royal Ferry, S. C. 


Dec. 29, 


1861 


4. 


Bird and Jones Islands, Ga. . 


Feb. 15, 


1862 


5. 


Fort Pulaski, Ga. . 


April 9-10, 


1862 


6. 


Wilmington Island, Ga. . . . . 


April — , 


1862 


7. 


James Island, S. C. 


June 10, 


1862 


8. 


Secessionyille, James Island, S. C. 


June 16, 


1862 


9. 


Main Land, (White House), S. C. 


June — 


1862 


10. 


Near Bluffton, S. C. 


Aug. 29, 


1862 


11. 


Rice Works, (Savannah River), Ga. 


Oct. 1, 


1862 


12. 


Bluffton, S. C. 


Oct. 12, 


1862 


13. 


May River, S. C 


Oct. 18, 


1862 


14. 


POCOTALIGO, S. C. . . 


Oct. 21, 


1862 


15. 


Coosaw River, S. C. 


April 9, 


1863 


16. 


Combahee Ferry, S. C. 


June 2, 


1863 


17. 


Darien, Ga. ...... 


June 11, 


1863 


18. 


James Island, S. C. . . . 


July 9-10, 


1863 


19. 


Light-House Inlet, S. C. 


July 10, 


1863 


20. 


Morris Island, (Wagner), S. C. 


July 18, 


1863 


21. 


Wagner and Gregg, (Siege), S. C. 


July 18 — Sept. 7, 


1863 


22. 


Sumter, (Siege), S. C. . . . July 1863— Feb. 18, 


1865 


23. 


Charleston and Front, (Siege), S. C. Aug 


., 1863— Feb., 18, 


1865 


24. 


Olustee, Fla. ...... 


Feb. 20, 


1864 


25. 


Cedar Creek, Fla. ..... 


May 25, 


1864 


26. 


Ashapoo River, S. C. . , . 


May 25, 


1864 


27. 


Drury Bluff, Va. ..... 


May 16, 


1864 


28. 


Appomattox River, Va. .... 


. May 28-31, 


1864 


29. 


Appomattox River, Va. . 


June 1-2, 


1864 


30. 


Appomattox River, Va., Battery No. 3 . 


June 5, 


1864 


31. 


James Island, S. C. 


July 2, 


1864 


32. 


Fort Johnson, S. C. . . 


July 3, 


1864 


33. 


Black Creek, Fla. ..... 


July 24, 


1864 


34. 


Gainesville, Fla 


Aug. 17, 


1864 


35. 


Laurel Hill, Va. ..... 


Oct. 7, 


1864 


36. 


Honey Hill, S. C. . 


Dec. 1, 


1864 


37. 


Deveaux's Neck, S. C. 


Dec. 6, 


1864 


38. 


Fort Burnham, Va. .... 


Dec. 10, 


1864 


39. 


Fort Burnham, Va. 


Jan. 24, 


1865 


40. 


Before Petersburg, Va. .... 


. Jan. 15-17, 


1865 



CHAPTER LXIII. 



» DISMOUNTING THE GUNS. 
September, 1865. 

Triumphant law returns the stcord. 

A few facts and general statements bearing upon the histor}^ of our 
command yet remain to be mentioned. Of necessitj', our record has been 
condensed. Our comrades, as they read, will call up innumerable inci- 
dents, personal and general, serious and sportive, that might have adorned 
and enlivened our narrative. It was a great tragedy in which we acted — 
the greatest of our age. Out of it have sprung relationships and issues 
that the most accomplished pen may not fully portray. 

As our regiment, in whole or in part, had now been associated, more 
or less, with the Army of the Potomac, the Army of the James, the Army 
of the South, and Sherman's army of the West, and had often battled, 
in field and siege, side by side, with gallant regiments from nearly all the 
loyal States, we tenderly felt the great bond of our patriotic brotherhood, 
now deepened, broadened, and intensified b} T common sacrifices, sufferings, 
and losses. Ah, how unutterable and irrefragible this fraternal tie. Now 
we are one people and one nation as never before. Our hearts have been 
fused together in the heats of battles and the hoty flames of a great devo- 
tion. The crimson in our Nation's flag now speaks of common blood that 
has been shed for our freedom and brotherhood, and the inextinguishable 
stars form an inseparable galaxy. Slavery and secession are dead, and 
now we have a United States living in the hearts of a free, united people. 

The statistics of our command, as given in the report of the Adjutant- 
General of Rhode Island for 1865, show that ours was the largest regiment 
furnished by the State for the war, reading thus : Officers, 219 ; enlisted 
men, 2,155 ; Total, 2.374. Our Roll of Honor on the State Monument 
counts : Commissioned officers, 7 ; non-commissioned, 10 ; privates, 
110 ; total, 127. The roll of our wounded was much larger. In strictness, 
h owever, the Adjutant-General's report should be modified by the state- 
ment that some names, owing to re-enlistment and transference, are 
counted more than once. Our roll on the State Monument should be 



« 



326 



SHOT AND SHELL. 



[September, 



larger than it is. For a correct one we refer the reader to a subsequent 
chapter. 

It will be noticed that the services of our regiment were multiform, 
onerous, responsible, and far-spread. We acted as infantry, engineers, 
light and heavy artiller}? on shore, and both light and heavj 7 artillery on 
gun-boats ; and often the companies were widety separated. Yet the 
command was as favorably as it was widely known in the Department of 
the South ; and no regiment was known to have performed greater service. 
The blows we struck are our eulog} 7 . We were regarded b} T Generals 
Sherman, Mitchell, Benham, Hunter, Gillmore, and Foster as among the 
most able and reliable of their troops. Their reports of our general service 
may be found in the archives of the War Department. The minutiae of 
our history we have in part collected in this volume. 

The successful construction of rifled artiller}-, with corresponding am- 
munition, an art marvelously developed b}' American genius during the 
civil struggle, has now essentially and permanently modified the plans 



is being abandoned for defensive purposes. Huge earthworks and banks 
of sand alone can check the progress of our later missiles, solid and ex- 
plosive, hurled from our monster rifled guns. In bringing about this 
revolution in gunnery and siege operations, the captures of Fort Pulaski 
and Fort Sumter and the shelling of Charleston contributed more than 
any events of our times. 

Of the results of the war, Pollard, the southern historian, remarks : 
"It closed on a spectacle of ruin the greatest of modern times. There 
were eleven great States lying prostrate ; their capital all absorbed ; their 
fields desolate ; their towns and cities ruined ; their public works torn 
to pieces by armies ; their system of labor overturned ; the fruits of the 
toil of generations all swept into a chaos of destruction." 

By the census of 1860, the property of South Carolina, including her 
slaves, was put down at $400,000,000. At least three fourths of this 




and operations of war- 
fare throughout the 
world. Mortars and 



|g| smooth-bore guns are 
IIP- retiring from the front. 



ARMY HUTS. 



¥ Old distances for bat- 
jE tie-strokes are being 
B forgotten before the 
P astonishing reach of 
f our modern engines. 
? And the old style of 
4 fortifications of stone 
and brick walls, once 
deemed impregnable, 



1865.] 



THIRD R. I. H. ARTILLERY. 



327 



property was swept away by the war — all the slaves and much of the 
material wealth. Even the lands remaining had fallen immensely in 
value. And, what was more humiliating — touching the Southern chivalry 
to the quick — the government of the State was in the hands of the 
negroes. 

One of the wealthiest men of Charleston before the war, having inher- 
ited aristocratic blood and rank, and having filled conspicuous positions in 
the city and the State, was asked, after the war had terminated, how it had 
fared with him and his estate. He replied : "The most I can say for my- 
self is that I am alive. As for my propert}^, it is gone. The last I heard 
of my valuables was, that the negroes — some of them once my slaves — 
were working in the woods, and cooking ham on my silver salver." Verily, 
to South Carolina, the tables were turned by the Rebellion. Was there ever 
a more instructive chapter of human history ? Well may the world deeply 
ponder the facts and the philosophy of our civil war. 

One might write the history of South Carolina, in respect to the Rebel- 
lion, under the divisions of discourse emphyyed by an English divine, in 
treating of Paul's experience, as embodied in the words: "I was alive 
without the law once, but when the commandment came, sin revived, and 
I died." The points made were : 1. The life he lived. 2. The death he 
died. 3. What it was that killed him. We submit this analysis to the 
Confederate historians. Or they might take the ke}--note as given by a 
Confederate soldier, who, when asked what the South was fighting for, 
answered : "We're fighting to get the nigger into Kansas." Will they now 
soberly tell us how far they got him in ? In short, Slavery committed sui- 
cide with the blunderbuss of secession, and, like all great systems of wick- 
edness, died hard. 

A talented Confederate officer has lately thus written : ' ' The history 
of the Confederacy, when it shall be fully and fairly written, will appear 
the story of a dream to those who shall read it, and there are parts of it at 
least which already seem a nightmare to those of us who helped make it. 
Founded upon a constitution which jealously withheld from it nearly all the 
powers of government, without even the poor privilege of existing beyond 
the moment when some of the States composing it should see fit to put it 
to death, the Richmond government, nevertheless, grew speedily into a 
despotism, and for four years wielded absolute power over an obedient and 
uncomplaining people. It tolerated no questioning, brooked no resistance, 
listened to no remonstrance." The truth is, it was born of passion, nursed 
by passion, led by passion, and died only as passion dies — from sheer 
exhaustion. 

The State of South Carolina entered the war in 1860 with 291,800 white 
people, and in 1870 had 289,667 when, if peace had continued, she would 
have had over three hundred and twenty thousand. The seceding states 
began the war with a property worth over $5,000,000,000, and came out of 



328 



SHOT AND SHELL. 



[September, 



it with less than $2,000,000,000 ; when, had peace continued, they should 
have had over $7,000,000,000. 

A devoted Quaker of the pure Rhode Island school has very kindly said 
to us in reference to the volume we are writing, "Can't thee put into it a plea 
for peace ?" We answered : ' ' The weightiest pleas for peace are the facts 
of war." And how strange it is that men, despite the lessons of history, 
will resort to the arbitrament of the sword. Manifestly mankind are suf- 
fering from moral insanity. 

In our passion-swayed world, thus far, war has been now and then a 
painful necessity. The facts and the philosophy of this deplorable matter, in 
a nut shell, are as follows : — 

1. Men are so lawless and incapable of right conduct as to make it 
necessary to have human laws and governments. 

2. Laws are powerless without penalties. 

3. Penalties are often impossible without the exercise of force. 

4. Force, in extreme cases, which will arise, necessitates the use of arms. 
As a historical fact, God has sanctioned human governments, and 

therefore sometimes sanctioned an appeal to arms. War has not always 
been an unmixed wrong, although it has always been a calamity. Bushnell 
says : "Peace will do for angels, but war is God's ordinance for sinners, 
and they want the schooling of it often." 

It will not be inappropriate, in this record of our doings, to state the 
philosophy of the war as we understood it. The seceding States fought 
for the dismemberment of the Union, and the permanent, legal establish- 
ment of slavery. The loyal States fought for the unity of the Nation, and 
the brotherhood of all men within its boundaries. We of the North and 
West fought not for a man, not for a party, not for a name, not for spoils ; 
but for great political and moral principles. We battled for the great rights 
of the Union, and the freedom and equality of men. Was there ever a 
less selfish and less mercenary struggle ? We contend that a lofty moral 
grandeur attached to our cause, and hence, in the prosecution of it, we felt 
a burning and inextinguishable inspiration ; in fact we were lifted above 
the ordinary plane of human nature. 

It is due to the secessionists to state what, from personal acquaintance 
with leading spirits among them, we know to be true, and as abundantly 
shown by their writings and fightings, that on two great points of the war 
they seemed sincere and sanguine ; indeed, they were, in their way, per- 
fectly conscientious and confident ; their convictions, or conclusions, ap- 
peared to be beyond doubt : 1. That the power of secession was their 
lawful right ; it was a liberty and prerogative of State Sovereignty, as 
expounded by Calhoun and A. H. Stephens. 2. That they should certainly 
succeed in their secession movement — the Southern Confederacy was a 
predestined success ; being intrinsically right, it was ordained to triumph. 
On these points they asked for no assurance. The logic of events has 



1865.] 



THIRD R. I. H. ARTILLERY. 



329 



shown their delusion on the second article of their faith. Will the}' ever 
confess their mistake on the first ? 

The number of deaths in the service, in all our armies, from the com- 
mencement to the close of the Rebellion, as given by Surg.-Gen. Joseph 
K. Barnes, United States Army, is as follows : — 



Regular Army, Commissioned Officers . . 267 

Regular Army, Enlisted Men 4,592 

Volunteer Commissioned Officers 8,533 

Volunteer Enlisted Men 256,427 

Colored Troops, Commissioned Officers 285 

Colored Troops, Enlisted Men 33,380 



Total Deaths 303,504 



Such were the official returns. Numbers besides these perished. And 
many died immediately after being mustered out of the service, on account 
of injuries and diseases incurred in the army. 

We regret that we are unable to give the official returns of the Confed- 
erates, as many of their papers perished with their cause. 

It has been estimated, from reliable authorities, that in the armies on 
both sides of the conflict, not less than three millions of men were en- 
gaged; and that not less than six hundred thousand were killed, wounded, 
and swept off by disease. Probably four hundred thousand more were 
variously crippled and disabled for life. 

A statement has recently been compiled from the records of the War 
Department, at Washington, showing the nativity of the men who fought 
for the Union in the Army and Navy. The entire number of men in the 
Union service on land and sea, during the whole war, was 2,762,401, of 
whom 104,943 were in the Navy, 178,895 were colored, and 370,000 were 
re-enlistments. The actual number of white men who served was 2,110,- 
000. Of this number, the nativity of 2,018,200 is shown by the records, 
as follows : — 



Born jln the United States 1,523,267 

Born in Germany 176,817 

Born in Ireland 144,221 

Born in Canada 53,532 

Born in England 45,50S 

Born in all other countries 74,855 



2,018,200 

It will be noticed that more than three-quarters of the soldiers were 
native Americans. 

During the last year of the war, its cost to the Union was about three 
and a half millions of dollars a day. On its termination, the Government 
was in debt about three thousand millions of dollars. Unquestionably the 
entire cost of the Rebellion to both sides amounted to six thousand mil- 



330 



SHOT AND SHELL. 



[September, 



lions of dollars. To this we are to add the value of the time spent, and 
the lives lost. Slavery has been expensive. 

A review of the war suggests the following observations : — 

1. When hostilities commenced, the South underestimated the principles 
and resources of the North ; and, on the other hand, the North underesti- 
mated the spirit and determination of the South. None of our statesmen 
or generals comprehended the magnitude and scope of the strife. The 
contest of ideas involved the transformation of the Nation. 

2. Superior bravery in battle may not be claimed by either party in the 
contest. Both armies revealed remarkable courage and submitted cheer- 
fully to astonishing sacrifices. Both learned to respect each other as they 
never before had done. 

3. Freedom proved to the world its superiority over slavery. Slavery- 
manifested to the world its fanaticism, blindness and passion. 

4. Truth is the mightiest force on earth, and will conquer in the end. 
Principles ultimately control treasure and life. The highest policy is to do 
right. Right dominates the world. 

The war was indeed great and costly ; but great and priceless were its 
results. We name some of them : — 

a. The utter overthrow of slavery in our country, and the assurance of 
its extermination from North America, and finally from the continent. 

b. A full, decisive demonstration that the United States is not a confed- 
eracy — a league of independent States — but a national government, and 
the most vital, self-reliant form of government ever known in the world's 
history. 

c. An assurance that Christianit} r , through her daughter Freedom, is 
destined to unite in indissoluble brotherhood, the different nations and races 
of the earth. 

d. The inauguration of the priceless principle of international arbitra- 
tion for the settlement of national disputes. 

And all these great results are matters of immeasureable moment to our 
posterity, and to all mankind. The war was a great step forward in the 
world's emancipation. 

e. Another momentous result of the war — one altogether unforeseen, 
and even unimagined — is found in our national finances. Prior to the 
Rebellion, we had no national monetary system ; the nation simply coined 
the precious metals for individuals and companies. Money was held, cir- 
culated, and managed by local banks, under State laws ; a very crude, 
undigested, fluctuating, unsatisfactory method, favoring some communities, 
and bearing unfavorably upon others. Though the method was kept from 
utter ruin by certain monopolizing banks of redemption, (as they were 
styled), acting as supervisors and regulators, yet it was seen that a change 
and perhaps an entire subversion of that order was inevitable. Our bank 
bills had various values in different parts of our country, and were worth- 



1865.] 



THIRD R. I. H. ARTILLERY. 



331 



less abroad. In short, in monetary matters, our Nation was in the hands 
of private bankers. 

The war threw us upon a national policy of finance, and swept away 
the old, local banks. Doubtless the system adopted in the midst of our 
struggle was the best possible under the circumstances. It rested wholly 
upon credit, because we had no sufficient basis of precious metals. In 
some of its features, probably, the system may be and must be improved. 
Moreover — what is of prime necessity — when completed, it must be 
adapted to our international relations and needs. It should be impartial, 
national, stable, and international in its adaptations. Here now is the 
great problem before our statesmen ; and it is a great one, which we must 
solve. In this matter, Divine Providence — ever evolving good from evil 
— brought far more out of the Nation's struggle, for its integrity, and the 
preservation of its liberties, than its wisest citizens could have anticipated. 
A broad, solid, permanent, impartial, national, and international system 
of finance is one of the greatest needs and blessings of a people who have 
a great mission to fulfill in the earth. Such a mission, we believe, belongs 
to our Nation. And in solving our problem of finance, we shall be called 
to lead the world. 

Now, with more appropriateness than ever, we may repeat the words of 
Drake : — 

" Flag' of the free heart's hope and home, 

By angel hands to valor given ; 
Thy stars have lit the welkin dome, 

And all thy hues were horn in heaven. 
Forever float that standard sheet ! 

Where breathes the foe, but falls befoi'e us, 
With Freedom's soil beneath our feet, , 

And Freedom's banner streaming o'er us ? " 



CHAPTER LXIV. 



ARMY HYMNS. 
1863. 



Jehovah is our shield and strength. 
As our regimental worship was a part of our history, by request oi 
comrades, we insert in our record a few of the hymns composed and printed 
by Chaplain Denison, in January, 1863, and pasted into our Testaments 
and Bibles. We only give specimens. The original manual was a 32mo. 
tract of sixteen pages, besides the Odes and Order of Services, on the 
cover. 



Tune — St. Thomas. 

Lo, on Genesaret 

The winds are hushed to rest ; 
The waves, in battlingff ury set, 

Are calmed upon its breast. 

Thou blessed Prince of Peace, 
Who stilled the stormy sea ; 

From every foe and fear release 
The land that trusts in Thee. 

Jehovah Jesus, speak 

Amid the strifes of men ; 
Rebellion's maddened tempest break, 

And give us peace again. 

Yea, grant us evermore 

Thy grace, to children given ; 

Be Thou our help till storms be o'er, 
And give us rest in Heaven. 



Tune — Woodland. 

O Thou enthroned above the skies, 
To whom all rule belongs ; 

To Thee shall suited worship rise 
From trusting mortal tongues. 

When desolating wars assail, 
When wrong defies the right, 

We raise to Thee our just appeal 
And ask for conquering might. 

The bow and spear were powerless 
Against Thy Hosts of old ; 

To-day our loyal armies bless, 
And make Thy servants bold. 



Ordain success to crown our arms 
And hasten righteous peace ; 

Preserve our land from future harms, 
And spread abroad Thy grace. 



Tune — Duke Street. 

Almighty Sovereign, just and wise, 
Meanwhile Thy throne is in the skies 
On earth an empire Thou hast laid, 
That sin and error may be stayed. 

Though peoples rise and join in arms, 
Though trumpets sound their dread alarms 
Thy mighty voice shall still the rage, 
And usher in a peaceful age. 

Oppression's rod shall yet be broke 
By Freedom's heaven-invested stroke ; 
And though the land be dyed in blood, 
The issue shall exalt our God. 

Lord turn us from each guilty way, 
And soon confirm the peaceful sway 
Of love and law and righteousness, 
That all may join Thy name to bless. 



Tune — Greenville. 

Clouds may gather thick above us, 

Still the sun his circuit keeps ; 
Present ills may never move us, 
Since Jehovah never sleeps ; 
Heaven's decreeing, 
All foreseeing, 
Light can call from chaos' deeps. 



1863.] 



THIRD R. I. H. ARTILLERY. 



333 



Troubled people, nobly striving, 

Sacrificing for the true, 
Shall behold the glad arriving — 
Cheering every patriot view — 
Of the peaceful 
And the blissful 
"Day of right, the nations through. 

Righteousness shall have dominion 

Where oppressions once held sway ; 
God's high law shall rule opinion ; 
Truth shall hold the final day, 
And the nations, 
With oblations, 
Shall the will of Heaven obey. 



Ttjnb— Wtimot. 

On the Rock Eternal standing, 
Favored mortals strike their songs ; 

Waiting for the Lord's commanding, 
Bidding back our sins and wrongs. 

All the earth shall yet surrender 
To the mighty Prince of Peace ; 

Be Thou, Lord, our high defender, 
Save us from each dark distress. 

Since for sins thy hand doth chasten, 

Give to all repenting grace ; 
Then the day of freedom hasten — 

Boon to us and all our race. 

Songs from shore and mountain swelling, 
Far abroad shall spread thy name 

Jesus' gospel joyful telling, 
Crowning him with endless fame. 



Tune — Old Hundred. 

Eternal God, Thy holy hand 

Dost hold illimitable sway, 
And mortals hear Thy high command, 

And joyful hasten to obey. 

Thy banner waves above all strife ; 

Thy grace can glorious conquests win ; 
En Thee our souls may trust for life, 

And seek redemption from our sin. 

Thy Son, Thy Spirit and Thy word 
Will safely guide us through earth's gloom ; 

Yea, angel guai-ds thou dost afford, 
To lead poor wanderers to their home. 



Through Him who died, the lost to save, 
We joyful venture near Thy throne ; 

In love divine our spirits lave, 
And thus enroll us as Thine own. 



Tune— Lenox. 

To-day, with songs, we come 

And worship at His feet 
Who triumphed o'er the tomb, 
And made His work complete ; 
And loud we sing 
The conquering King, 
Whose arm will never know defeat. 

This holy Sabbath hour, 

To humble worship given, 
Invests the soul with power, 
And lifts it up to heaven ; 
With joyful lay, 
We keep the day, 
Ordained the best of all the seven. 

O Spirit from above 

Descend to sanctify ; 
Reveal the Saviour's love — 
Indissoluble tie — 
Insuring rest 
Among the blest, 
Where holy hymns shall never die. 



Emancipation Song. 

Tune— lt Scot's Wha' Ha'." 
Hear, O hear the grand decree, 
Speaking millions men and free ; 
Seize, O seize your liberty, 

Sons of Af ric's clime ! 
Light now pours upon your face ; 
Freedom waits to bless your race ; 
Sing, O sing the day of grace ; 

Shout the joyous time ! 

Law has broke oppression's rod ; 
Men are ransomed now by blood ; 
Hear, O hear the voice of God 

Sounding from the skies ! 
Chains are cut by Freedom's SAVords ; 
Mercy now her hand affords ; 
Heaven bends down with great awards ; 

Rise, ye ransomed, rise ! 



CHAPTER LXV. 



ROLL OF HONOR. 

COMMISSIONED OFFICERS. 



Col. Nathaniel W. Brown, 
Quartermaster Walter B. Manton, 
First Lieut. George Carpenter, 
First Lieut. Henry Holbrook, 



First Lieut. Edwin W. Keene, 
First Lieut. Frederic Metcalf, 
First Lieut. A. Richmond Rawson, 
Second Lt. Erasmus S. Bartholomew. 



SERGEANTS. 

John J. Carpenter, Jr., Patrick Gilligan, George J. Hill. 

Joseph H. Fish, Martin Heeney, 

CORPORALS. 

Henry S. Angell, Foster S. Peck, Charles W. Weed en. 

J. Nelson Bogman, Charles D. Stalker, 

MUSICIAN. 
John Cavanagh. 



Arnold, Daniel L. 
Barber, James D. 
Blair, William 
Bray ton, Benjamin F. 
Briggs, Daniel B. 
Brophy, William 
Brown, George 
Brown, William L. 
Bullock, John S. 
Burdick, Franklin E. 
Burns, Michael 
Burroughs, William 
Burke, Patrick 
Campbell, Thomas 
Carroll, Frank 
Carroll, Henry 
Case, Nathaniel N. 
Chace, Benjamin 
Chaffee, Willard 
Conboy, Henry 



PRIVATES. 

Connoly, Peter 
Crosby, Daniel 
Crosby, Elisha H. 
Crowley, James 
Davis, William 
Diggle, Daniel 
Doherty, Thomas 
Dunbar, Edward 
Dunn, John 
Eddy, Warren 
Egan, Robert 
Elby, Charles 
Elwell, Noel 
Fallon, John 
Farrar, William 
Farrell, Lawrence 
Fiske, Emery 
Gannon, Patrick 
Gibbins, Michael J. 
Golden, Daniel 



Gorton, John A. 
Goodwin, George F. 
Greenalgh, William J. 
Grimes, John 
Gunter, Daniel 
Hackett, Edward 
Harrington, David T. 
Havens, James D. 
Hicks, George W. 
Horton, Edwin R. M. 
Howe, Martin S. 
Hughes, Joseph 
Hyde, John 
Ide, AlmonD. 
Jaqueth, George W. 
Jefferson, James 
Jefferson, George 
Joslin, Edwin 
Kallaher, Patrick 
Kelley, James 



1865.] 



THIRD R. I. H. ARTILLERY. 



335 



Ketch urn, Alfred S. 
Lambe, John 
Leonard, Abiel L. 
Luther, Joseph T. 
Mace, George W. 
Malone, Dennis 
McCool, John 
McGahan, James 
McKenua, John 
McQuade, Felix 
McQuillin, Francis 
Migan, Michael 
Monroe, Charles H. 
Moon, Horatio N. 
Morgan, Charles 
Mowry, Manton B. 



Murray, Bernard 
Nailan, Peter 
Nickerson, John 
O'Donald, James 
O' Sullivan, James 
Potter, Israel A. 
Prew, Mitchell 
Eico, George 
Rounds, Charles H. 
Ryan, James 
Ryan, Thomas 
Saunders, Asa B. 
Sayles, Benjamin L. 
Smith, Lyman R. 
Smith, George W. 
Smith, David 



Stewart, John E. 
Stewart, Silas H. 
Stowe, Walter 
Sweet, Samuel S. 
Taf t, Francis H. 
Tanner, Thomas B. 
Thornton, Martin G.. 
Tillinghast, William C. 
Turnbull, Thomas W. 
Yallely, Edward J. 
Warfield, Henry H. 
Warner, John B. 
Wells, Stephen B. 
Welch, Henry 
Worden, William H. 
Wright, Reuben P. 



Corporal William Cody, and Privates Michael Feeny and James Callahan, 
missing in action, are supposed to have been killed. George R. Dexter and 
Alexander R. McKenzie died of disease after receiving discharges for disability. 



"With the bra ve and heroic of ages gone by 
Blend the names of the heroes who round us 
now lie ; 

While the world has a heart, and the right 

needs a shield, 
O sing of our martyrs who sleep on the field. 
In Liberty's temple they worshipped with 
love, 

Preserving her code with the law from above ; 
At Liberty's altar — the purchase of blood — 



They recorded their vows for the right and 
for God ; 

'Neath Liberty's standard they rallied with 
pride ; 

In defending that standard, as heroes they 
died ; 

On Liberty's aegis their names are now found, 
And their graves shall with wreaths ama- 
ranthine be crowned. 



CHAPTER LXV1. 



ROLL OF THE REGIMENT. 
1861 — 1865. 



Since the roll of the regiment, as published by the State, has a number 
of inaccuracies in it — what could scarcely have been avoided under the cir- 
cumstances of its hasty publication — and because a history of the com- 
mand would be incomplete without it, our comrades and others will thank 
us for here giving as correct a roll as we have been able to secure. The 
long and patient labor given to its preparation — appreciated only by those 
who have performed similar work — was contributed by our loved and 
brotherly Adjutant, George O. Gorton. 

EXPLANATIONS. 

Bank. That in which mustered out, or attained at decease. 

Name. The Eoll being compiled from the muster-rolls, the names are spelled 
as there found. 

Company. That in which mustered out, or with which connected at decease. 
The Company letters 33 and D are new organizations after muster-out of original 
B and D. 

Honorably Discharged. By reason of expiration of term of service, or in 
compliance with War Department Orders. 

Remarks. Dates and localities, in connection with casualties, being given in 
the body of this work, are here omitted. 



THIRD R. I. H. ARTILLERY. 337 



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OUR FLAG. 



We have presented our record, and our roll. We cannot close without 
a reference to the banner that waved over us. Flags, indeed, in one sensej 
are but threads and colors. In another sense, they transcend all fabrics 
and all hues. Some ambitious philosopher has dared to assert that " in 
matter is the potency and promise of al] life. " However heretical that ut- 
terance may be, in the strict sense of words, or in the sense intended 
by the author, the language has more than a poetical application to the 
" Standard Sheet" of Freedom. Things have their worth in what the3 T 
signify. Deep, mysterious, unutterable associations attach to battle flags 
and the ensigns of nations ; The Eagles of Rome, the Lilies of France, 
and the Red Cross of England, have inspired millions to do and die. 
They have waved in power through long centuries, and have gained a 
glory on fields of renown. Our } r oung Republic has now taken her place 
among the nations ; and though she has counted only one centennial year, 
she has wrought and fought her way to a rank in the van of the powers of 
the earth. Her banner, borrowed from the heavens — the constellated stars 
of light, on field of azure red and white — already waves in acknowledged 
honor, invested with tender, tearful, sacred, ennobling and exalting mem- 
ories. By all nations it is admitted to be the most beautiful flag on the face 
of the earth. But its highest beauty is in the ideas associated with it. It has 
triumphed over tyranny, and abolished slavery. It has awed the lion and 
crushed the head of the adder. Its great glory and power of inspiration 
are in the sublime fact that it symbolizes manhood, brotherhood, liberty, 
union, and national dignity. Its folds have been wet with the tears of 
love, and the blood of valor. On it we see the faces, and read the hearts, 
of Washington and Lincoln. On it blazes a great roll of martyrs. In it 
is the " potency and promise " of a majestic national life yet to be revealed. 
It shall rule a continent in the interests of humanity . High, and long, 
may it float in the gracious smiles of God who bestowed it. 

The beautiful regimental standard under which we marched and battled 
for the Nation, is now found, where it belongs, in the State House, in 
Providence, tenderly folded and proudly placed by the side of all the bat- 
tle flags of Rhode Island, as a part — and no small part — of the sacred 
treasures and memorials of the valiant Commonwealth, to transmit the les- 
sons of loyalty and the inspiration of duty breathed upon us, to the favored 
generations who may come after us, that Treason and Rebellion ma}^ never 
tread, with impunity, the land of the free and the brave. 



CHAPTER LXVII. 



THE VETERAN ASSOCIATION. 
1872 — 1879. 

O ties untold of patriot love ! 
By suffering- made how strong ! 

The history of our regiment may hardly be regarded as complete with- 
out some notice of the Veteran Association, an organization formed 
by its members for the preservation of old friendships, the indulgence of 
martial memories, and the preparation and publication of our history. 
This voluntary association was formed in accordance with the suggestion 
and call of the officers and men. Near the same time similar organizations 
were formed among the surviving members of nearly all the commands 
that served in the war from our State. And these societies have not only 
their annual reunions as such, but usually, also, an annual general meeting. 



The fellowship of suffering, who can tell ? 

The fellowship of ease and mirth is brief ; 
It comes and passes as an airy spell, 

Not so with fellowship of toil and grief. 



If hearts you would forever closely weld, 
Together cast them in the furnace heat ; 

And let them long within the flames he held, 
Where heart to heart in martyr-throbs shall 
beat. 



Our first meeting — a preliminary one — was held at No. 29 Exchange 
Place, Providence, R. I., Aug. 14, 1872, with Col. E. Metcalf as Chairman 
and Maj. J. J. Comstock, Jr., as Secretary. Articles of Association were 
prepared, and a committee, consisting of G-en. C. R. Brayton, Maj. J. J. 
Comstock, Jr., and Maj. J. M. Barker, was chosen to make arrangements 
for a general reunion. „ 

One of the Articles of Association reads thus : — 

" Devoted to our Country in the future as in the past, we yet claim for each 
other the largest liberty of speech and opinion, but within our Association there 
is no room for political discussion. Our reunions shall be ever sacred to friend- 
ship and social enjoyment." 

The First Reunion was held at Rocky Point, Aug. 28, 1872. The 
Articles of Association were adopted, letters were read from absent com- 
rades, and followed by pertinent addresses and remarks. The officers 



July, 1873-6.] third r. i. h. artillery. 865 

chosen for the } T ear were Col. E. Metcalf, President ; Gen. C. R. Bray ton, 
Vice-President ; Maj. J. J. Comstock, Jr., Secretary and Treasurer. 
* 

The Second Reunion was held at Rocky Point, July 18, 1873, with a 
good attendance. In accordance with the wishes of all, steps were taken 
looking to the preparation of the history of the old command. Gen. C. R. 
Brayton was chosen President, Maj. George Metcalf, Vice-President, and 
Lieut. C. H. Williams, Secretary and Treasurer. 

The Third Reunion was also held at Rocky Point, July 17, 1874, when 
the Historical Committee reported progress ; and the design of a badge for 
the Association was presented and adopted. The meeting was one of de- 
lightful fellowship. The officers for the year were Gen. C. R. Brayton, 
President ; Capt. A. E. Greene, Vice-President ; Lieut. C. H. Williams, 
Secretary and Treasurer. 

The Fourth Reunion was observed with a large and enthusiastic attend- 
dance at Oakland Beach, R. L, July 29, 1875, in connection with the 
reunions of many of the commands of the State, all of which were reviewed 
by Gen. A. E. Burnside, Gov. Henry Lippitt, and other distinguished, 
public men. The new badges were ready for distribution. Agreeably 
with a b3 r -law of the Association, we elected to honorary membership 
Generals, Q. A. Gillmore, J. W. Turner, James R. Hawley, A. H. Terry, 
T. W. Sherman, and Colonel Greeley of the Tenth Connecticut Volunteers. 
Notice was taken of the death of Lieut. John Morrow, Jr., and the Histor- 
ical Committee reported progress. The officers chosen for the year were 
Col. C. Blanding, President ; Maj. J. M. Barker, Vice-President ; Lieut. 
C. H. Williams, Secretary and Treasurer. 

The Fifth Reunion took place at Ocean Cottage on Narragansett Bay, 
July 27, 1876. The Historical Committee — Col. Edwin Metcalf, Gen. 
Horatio Rogers, Jr., and Gen. C. R. Brayton — reported that Chaplain 
Denisoh had undertaken the task of writing the history of the old com- 
mand, and urged the collection of all remaining data and incidents to enable 
the historian to carry out his design. Gen. William Ames and Lieut. John 
Hackett were added to this committee. 

Honorary membership was conferred upon Mr. Benjamin Bogman,"2d, 
for the services he rendered the army, and his great interest in our old com- 
mand and in our Association. Mr. Bogman's son was among our martyrs. 

The Association passed the following appropriate resolutions : — 

"That in the deaths of Lieutenants John Morrow, Jr., (Jan. 9, 1875), Josiah 
W. Eobinson, Jr., Latham T. Babcock, and Robert Slattery, we have suffered 
deep personal losses of prized companionship, and a loss to our Association of 
valuable members; since these officers were brave and true in the service of their 
country, kind and generous in their social life, and ever ready to serve their old 
comrades in war and in peace." 



366 



SHOT AND SHELL. 



[July, 1876-7. 



The following officers were chosen for the year : Capt. A. E. Greene, 
President; Maj. C. W. H. Day, Vice-President; Lieut. C. H. Williams, 
Secretary and Treasurer. After indulging in speeches, array reminiscences, 
and hearty good cheer, and finishing up routine business, as the meeting 
was specially for historical purposes, the Association adjourned to meet in 
reunion with the veterans of other commands at Rocky Point, Aug. 8, 1876. 

By adjournment the Association met at Rocky Point, Aug. 8, in con- 
nection with the Veteran Associations of other commands, and passed a 
delightful day. The Grand Reunion closed with a general dress-parade, 
after which we were reviewed and addressed by the Governor of the State. 

The Sixth Reunion of the old gunners occurred June 28, 1877, in con- 
nection with all the Veteran Associations of the State, on the occasion of 
a grand reception given jointly by the authorities of the State, the author- 
ities of the City of Providence, posts of the Grand Arniy of the Republic of 
Providence, and the Veteran Association of the State, to the President of the 
United States, Rutherford B. Hayes, and his Cabinet, to the Society of 
the Army of the Potomac with its various corps, and to the Grand Army 
of the Republic. This great gathering of the veterans of all the land 
commenced in Providence, June 26, and continued, with varied and enthusi- 
astic exercises, for three days. The 26th was given to the reception of 
the Grand Army of the Republic, under Governor Hartranft (of Penn- 
sylvania), as the Commander-in-Chief; Mayor Thomas A. Doyle, of Provi- 
dence, giving the welcoming address in behalf of the citizens. The 27th 
was devoted to the Army of the Potomac : the early part of the day given 
to the meetings of the various corps ; the oration and poem following the 
corps meetings ; and the evening assigned to the grand banquet given by 
the city of Providence in Music Hall. On the 28th occurred the formal 
reunion of the veterans and their hearty reception of President Ha}<es and 
the members of his Cabinet. The column of veterans — representing four- 
teen old war regiments — was commanded by Major-General A. E. Burnside. 
Governor Charles C. Van Zandt and some of the State militia relidered 
important services. After the ceremonies of reception in Providence, all 
the parties, by steamers, made an excursion to Rocky Point, where new 
ceremonies of welcome occurred, and a grand Rhode Island clam-bake was 
dispensed. Following the general formalities of the occasion was the busi- 
ness meeting of our Veteran Association, when the following officers were 
elected : President, Capt. Albert E. Greene ; Vice-President, Lieut. M. 
J. Higgins ; Secretary and Treasurer, Lieut. C. H. Williams ; Executive 
Committee, Gen. C. R. Brayton, Col. E. Metcalf, Maj. J. M. Barker, Capt. 
John Burroughs, Sergt. G. M. Turner ; Delegate for General Committee, 
Gen. C. R. Brayton. Chaplain F. Denison reported that the history of the 
regiment was nearly completed and only awaited examination by the Histor- 
ical Committee, and final retouching. The Committee on History was con- 



1877-79.] 



THIRD R. I. H. ARTILLERY. 



367 



tinued, with power to enlarge their number to facilitate the examination of 
the manuscript, in accordance with the wish of the historian. 

After being reviewed, with all the veterans of the state, by President 
Hayes, and returning to Providence and saluting the State Monument, it 
was voted to adjourn for a more free and social reunion by ourselves at the 
call of the Secretary. 

Aug. 30, 1877. By call of the Secretary, C. H. Williams, the veterans 
met at Ocean Cottage, where after happy, social hours, and a Rhode Island 
clam dinner, they were called to order, and listened to records and reports. 
The Historical Committee reported that the}' had listened to the reading of 
the history of the regiment, and urged the members to at once bring in all 
facts and incidents that should have a place in the volume. Remarks 
were made by the historian and others. A resolution was passed author- 
izing the Historical Committee to proceed to the completion and publication 
of the history. 

The Seventh Reunion took place at the Park Gardens, in Providence, 
July 25, 1878, in connection with the meetings of other commands. After 
routine business, it was reported that our histor}' only awaited the 
gathering of a few more items. Great interest was manifested in its com- 
pletion. In the general meeting of all the associations in the Pavilion, an 
address was made by Gov. Charles C. Van Zandt, and a poem was delivered 
by Chaplain F. Denison. The. review was conducted by Col. Zenas R. 
Bliss, late of Seventh Rhode Island Volunteers, and now Captain in United 
States Army. 

The officers for the year were Capt. L. C. Tourtellot, President ; Lieut. 
W. W. Hanscom, Vice-President ; Lieut. C. H. Williams, Secretary and 
Treaurer. 

The Eighth Reunion occurred at the Park Gardens, in Providence, July 
30, 1879, in connection with the reunions of other commands. After the reg- 
ular business, specimen pages of our history were shown in type, with illus- 
trative cuts. Subscriptions for the volume were promptly offered. 

Resolutions were passed expressing our sense of loss in the deaths of 
Surgeon Horatio G. Stickney, Lieut. George W. Greene, and Lieut. John 
Aigan ; also in the deaths of comrades, Sylvester Sherman, S. M. F. Bushee, 
Robert Seiler and George W. Peckham. 

At the funerals of Lieut. G. W. Greene, and comrades Bushee and 
Sherman, the Chaplain officiated. Lieutenant Greene died in Belling- 
ham, Mass., Jan. 18, 1879, aged 39 years, and his funeral, Jan. 22, was 
largely attended by officers and men of the old command, and by the mili- 
tary of Woonsocket, R. I. The following from the pen of the Chaplain, 
appeared in print : — 



368 



SHOT AND SHELL. 



[July, 1879. 



Tribute. 

He sleeps, as martyrs sleep, his sufferings past, 

While Honor weaves her wreath to deck his grave, 
Whose fresh, young life a sacrifice was cast 

In war, his country's perilled life to save. 
Though wounded in the opening conflict's flame. 

He bravely battled on, until his years 
Of service closed, and won, by deeds, the name 

That clearly graved on freedom's shield appears. 
Cherished by kindred, as by comrades all, 

Who, with their parting volley and their tears, 
Commit his record to the roll of fame ; 
And while fair floral tributes grace his pall, 
A fellow-soldier brings affection's verse, 
And lays it, with the flag, upon his hearse. 

Lieut. C. H. Williams was requested to act as Trustee of the Associa- 
tion in the matter of publishing the histoiy of the regiment. 

The following were chosen as officers for the ensuing year : Lieut. W. 
W. Hanscom, President ; Lieut. G-. 0. G-orton, Vice-President ; Lieut. C. 
H. Williams, Secretaiy and Treasurer. 

The associations, under command of Maj.-Gen. A. E. Burnside, had a 
parade, and were reviewed by Gov. C. C. Van Zandt. 

Here the brave men of the Third Ehode Island Artiller}- Regiment close 
their published record, and, for themselves and for their departed comrades, 
tenderly commit the volume to the State they represented, to the Nation 
they defended, and to the generations to follow, who may inquire respect- 
ing their principles, motives, toils, sufferings and victories. 

And when we all low in our graves shall sleep, 
Heaven grant, the land we loved, from foes to keep. 



1879. 



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